Maybe Baby
by AK-tutti
Summary: Maybe baby is not enough, either you're in or out of love. Half is not all I got! I want you, but you're making things tough. - Ezria
1. The Poem

**Maybe Baby**

**Chapter 1: The Poem.**

Aria was trying not to look at Ezra during English. Every time she looked at him and they accidentally locked eyes, their brown pools meeting, her heart would break all over again.

They had met each other at a bar, not knowing that he would soon be her teacher, and they started their... what were they even? They then discovered what kind of situation they were in, and Aria was sure they were right. Ezra wasn't. He eventually came to the conclusion that he couldn't be without her, and they heated back up. Now he had pulled out the plug again, and to say the least Aria was confused.

Who was he to decide what she wanted, what was best for her? If she wanted to be with someone her age then she would be. If she didn't wanna miss out on being a teenager, and if she didn't wanna hide out in his apartment then she wouldn't have wanted a relationship with. Not to say that the hiding out wasn't frustrating at times, but he was so worth it.

Why would he continue to make excuses for it not working out? Why would he make the decisions for her? Why would he try to decide what she wanted? Why wouldn't he just jump in? He claimed he liked her, but at the same time he didn't want her. Then he wrote the poem B-26 after he had broken it off, and she had done exactly what he thought he wanted for her. She had gotten together with Noel! She just hoped she could learn to love him as much as Ezra. She was just yet to admit that last part. Not that it mattered now.

Aria's favorite subject had always been English, especially since Ezra, but today she wasn't paying attention. Ezra was talking, and she was trying to avoid the gaze she could once in awhile feel upon her, but then she looked up and... her heart broke all over again.

She was writing in a little book she had, and to everyone else she appeared to be taking notes, but she wasn't. What she was writing was personal, and she probably shouldn't during class, but she was sad and frustrated, and when she felt that why she would always write.

She loved to write. That was one of the many things she had in common with Ezra, one of the things she also loved about him. He wrote. She hadn't admitted it to him, but she loved the poem he had written about her, but at the very same time she was pissed. How dared he say the things he said to her? How dared he tell her to do something, break it off and then write that poem? What right did he have when he didn't even want to be with her?

Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? With A lurking around practically every corner she should be worried about something else, but these days A was the last thing on her mind, and besides revealing that poem to her A hadn't really done much to harrass her.

So Aria spent her time avoiding her friends, her loving friends who she hadn't even trusted with the secret of Ezra yet, and she had spent her lonely days writing, too. Well, not so much writing these days, it was more sketching and doodling around what she had written, hoping inspiration would strike to write something new.

Sometimes Aria even wondered what would happened had she not gone into that bar that day. What if she had gone somewhere else to pass her time while waiting on Mike? Then she wouldn't have met Ezra, and her wouldn't be broken like this. He would just be her English teacher then with no feelings involved. Things would sure be easier, but she didn't wanna go back. She was glad to have met him even though her heart was breaking now. She just wished that somehow they could move forward together, but he had decided the fate of their relationship and pulled out the plug. She missed him deeply.

People started moving around Aria, but she was too wrapped up in her thoughts and doodling in her book that she didn't even notice, but she became aware of reality when Emily nudged her in the side because apparantly the bell had rung.

"Aria, the bell. It's lunch time." Emily told her with this voice that was just far too pitying, surely Hanna had told her about the boy in Iceland who allegedly had broken her heart. It wasn't really true, though. Sure, there had been a boy in Iceland, but he hadn't broken her heart. Ezra had, but she couldn't very well tell Emily that even though she was so sweet to care about her.

"Oh, okay." Aria said, trying to avoid a conversation with her taller friend. She pushed out her chair and got up, and then she offered Emily what she herself felt was a sorry excuse for a smile, and then she quickly hurried out of the classroom just leaving Emily there, stunned by the way Aria had been acting lately.

Ezra watched Aria leave the classroom, shortly after followed by Emily. This whole situation broke his heart because it wasn't how he had imagined this whole thing to turn out, not that he ever had imagined it to end well. He loved her dearly which he was still yet to tell her, but he didn't want her to miss her out on everything because she was stuck in his tiny little apartment.

He ran his fingers through his short, dark hair – a haircut he had gotten for her. Why did it have to be so difficult? Either choice he would have made would have made him selfish. It would have been selfish of him to have her miss out on all the things he had told her he didn't want her to miss out on, and it was selfish of him to just decide what she wanted, but he didn't want her to wake up one day in the future and realize that this had all been a terrible mistake.

He hated himself for this whole situation, though. It wasn't like he didn't see the hurt in her eyes when they locked eyes during class, and it wasn't like he didn't see the heartbreak when she was scribbling in her book during class as well. He felt the same way, but it was probably what was best for her even though it broke his heart. At least it didn't stop her from staying focussed in class with all she scribbled down in her book when he teached.

Her book? He looked up from his desk and noticed that Aria had forgotten her book in class. Some weird power took him over, and he pushed his chair away from his desk and slowly walked towards Aria's desk. There it was; her book. Open. It was very tempting. Maybe just a couple of lines?

_Maybe baby is not enough_

_Either you're in or out of love_

He had only just read a couple of lines, but he had this intense feeling that this poem or whatever it was perhaps was about him. He had to read on to be certain.

He picked up the book and slowly made his way back to his desk and sat down to read the poem. He knew it was wrong to read something so private without asking, but if you thought about it then she had already read the poem he wrote about, and technically it would only be fair for him to read the one she written about him too.

He read on;

_Half is not all I got_

_I want you, but you're making things tough_

Those few lines made him absolutely certain that the poem was about him. Had he really hurt her that much to inspire her to write a poem like that? He felt extremely guilty and decided to mainly just skim the poem, as he had a feeling that it would only hurt him in more ways than one if he read it completely. Just four lines had made him feel depressed about the decisions he had made.

_I'll give you a kiss or three for your dedication_

_Anything to make you try_

_And stop making me cry_

_I'll give you a kiss or three for your commitment_

_Anything for you to go all in_

_Everything to hear you say_

_You really do want me_

All these different thoughts and feelings were rushing through him. Thoughts like; but I do want you, I made a terrible mistake, what a talent and I love you. Feelings like; regret, love, hurt and pride. It was more than he could take this poem, but he couldn't stop reading.

_You give me half, but I want it all_

_I want you to catch me if I fall_

_You're always one foot in and one foot out_

_I lift us up, but you let me down_

He lifted his hand and placed it on his cheek, was that a tear? He was so proud of the girl he loved for having written this. It felt intense and he hated himself for having somewhat inspired this. How could he have hurt Aria like that? It hadn't been his intentions at all! He just wanted her to be free, to be happy and be able to live her life the way she wanted to, but that had been selfish.

For every line of Aria's poem that he read it brought him even more certainty, and he more and more realised that he had infact been incredibly selfish. It became clear to him that he hadn't given her what she'd wanted. He should have asked her what she wanted, instead of just deciding it all for her. Instead of blowing it all when this felt like real love.

Why did he continue to read this when it only made him realize how stupid he was, and when it only made him regret all that he had done? But he had to keep reading. He had to.

_Why are you so afraid to try_

_And run all the way to the finish line  
Then we could really be something  
But you still give me nothing_

He slowly came towards the end of the poem, and it had never been clearer to him just what a big mistake he'd made. He had to fix it. He had to get her back somehow, but where would it even leave them? They would still have to hide out, and she deserved way more than that. If only they could be together somewhere, where they didn't have to hide out like that.

Something needed to be figured out – fast. All he knew was that he couldn't not be with her. When he handed her back her book he would have thought of something. He had to – that was decision that he had made. She was simply to precious to hide away.

**Maybe baby is not enough**

It was lunch time, and even though Aria hadn't exactly been very talkative with her friends late, she still sat down with them at their usual table. She wished she could tell them about her Ezra, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to him even though they weren't exactly anything anymore.

Spencer was very caught up with this whole A thing, figuring out who exactly A was. When Spencer wasn't talking about A – which rarely ever occured – she was trying to figure out who exactly killed Alison. Were A and Ali's killer one and the same? So on and so on. Aria didn't even have to listen to their conversation to know what they were discussing.

Hanna would make cracking remarks every once in awhile and try to help, and Emily would try to help as well, but would also be second guessing and stuff. Emily wasn't as comfortable in all of this as the rest of them were, but who would actually be comfortable? Emily was still the worst, though.

Aria couldn't be bothered these days. She grabbed her fork and dug into her vegan food with it. She couldn't exactly say she was hungry, but she had to eat. It was difficult for her to have time for eating when she was sort of perfecting her dwelling abilities.

Spencer gave Aria a light push to bring her back to the table. "Where's your head at?" She asked, sounding as concerned as Hanna and Emily managed to look. None of this was fair to them, but what was she supposed to do?

"Nowhere." Aria replied and just as the words escaped her mouth, she could see that neither of her friends were buying it. So she attempted a joke; "You know that."

"That's not funny, Aria." Emily chipped in from where she was sitting, being the most concerned out of all of them. She hated seeing a friend like this – whatever this was. "You've been acting strange lately, and you haven't spoken to us for real in like forever. What's up?"

"Is it the boy from Iceland?" Hanna wanted to know, mainly because Aria had led her to believe there had been someone significant in Iceland, and now she seemed extremely depressed so Hanna put two and two together.

"Yeah, sure." Aria said and tried to shrug it all off. Why were they giving her the third degree all of the sudden? "It's the boy from Iceland." Why was she lying? It was wrong, but she just wanted to dwell on her own. She would write her thoughts and feelings down in her book, and then... "Shit! I forgot my book."

She pushed away her tray and ran as fast as she could out of the cafeteria. She knew she had left the book in Ezra's class, and she couldn't get there fast enough.

She preceeded running through the halls of school. She knew she wasn't supposed to, but she had to get that book back straight away. It contained very personal things that no-one was supposed read. Mainly things about Ezra, but how else was she meant to vent when she couldn't possibly confide in her friends.

"Shit." She muttered as she realized her book had most likely been left open. That was just what she needed, for her book to be easy to read.

It was logical that her book would be that much more tempting to read then. Who wouldn't be tempted to read a book if it was lying somewhere, opened. She sped up her run so she'd get there faster, eliminating the possibily of someone having already read it.

She reached Ezra's classroom in no time and burst through the door, and there sat Ezra by his desk with her book open. Great, the last person who was supposed to read her poems had her book.

Ezra looked touched somehow, emotional if you will. He looked up at Aria, knowing she had come for her book. "I assume you came for this." He said, refering to the book. He closed it and took it in his hand as he stood up. She looked at him, struggling to find her words because of the hurt. "You're a great writer."

He handed the book back to her which she accepted, but she didn't reply at first. When she finally found her words she spoke with such a fragile voice, and it felt like it could break at anytime; "You read my stuff?"

"Yeah, and it was..." He led off and was about to compliment her, hoping to turn everything around somehow, but she cut him off before he could even finish.

"No, I meant; you read my stuff!?" Her voice had regained its strength, and she sounded really mad that he had just read her stuff. It was something personal, and no matter how close they had once been that wasn't for anyone else to just read. "How dare you?"

He looked it her standing there, her angry eyes piercing right at him. How was he gonna get her back? What could he offer her? How could they move forward and be together? He was still her teacher, and he wanted to be with her so, so much, but he wanted to be able to take her out as well. How was he supposed to pull that off, especially with her seeming pissed at him now?

"I'm sorry, but I saw that you had left your book and went to get it, knowing you would come for it at some point, and the words just captured me." He tried to explain and sound apologetic, but her eyes clearly stated that she was far from impressed with her ex-lover.

Aria took this opportunity to channel her hurt into anger. What Ezra had done was far from okay, but on some level she felt some sort of relief that he had read it. At least he knew a little of what she had been feeling lately, though it didn't dig that deeply.

"And that excuses it?" Aria exclaimed, fighting back the tears she could feel beginning to form in her eyes. This whole situation was frustrating, and she didn't know what to make of him sometimes. "I don't get you? First you break it off with all these lame excuses of why we can't be together. Next you tell me you got a haircut for me, then you go away and I try to do what you wanted. I went out with Noel. Then I find out you've published a poem about me for everyone to read, which quite frankly made it all hurt just a little bit more, and now you have the nerve to read a poem I have written in a personal book of mine?" The tears became a little harder to fight. "That's messed up!"

It was messed up. Aria was right and he knew that, but he had never felt anything like this before. Sure, he had been engaged before, but this with Aria felt so much stronger and more real. He had to roll with the punches and hope that whatever this between them now was, that it would somehow lead to a window where he could get back with her, and he would somehow figure out how they could be without hiding.

"It was about me, wasn't it?" Ezra asked her with his most caring voice, not feeling angry like Aria and ignoring her last question. Answering that question would only lead them off track.

"Does it even matter?" Aria tried to avoid answering that question, offering Ezra another question instead, but with a saying look from Ezra she nodded her head as if to say yes.

Ezra to a step closer to her, feeling that with that nod he was closer to getting what he wanted. However that was gonna work out? He just knew he needed to be with her.

"I figured as much. It really hit me in the heart." He said just as caring as before, reaching out and placing his hand lovingly on her cheek with her closing her eyes, leaning in to his touch. There was his window. "Your words are very beautiful and made me realize some things."

Aria became aware of the fact that she had let her fortress fall, giving him a window of opportunity, but what did that mean? She immediately opened her eyes and stepped away from Ezra, looking at her with her beautiful pools now widened. Where was this going?

Looking slightly hurt by that action, Ezra quickly brushed it off and took that step closer to her that she had taken back. This was gonna go his way for once, not the way he just assumed was the best for her. It was about what was best for them now.

He looked down at her beautiful, small hands, taking them in his. He locked eyes with her and saw that she was shaking her pretty little head, as if she wanted to say 'please, don't do this to me'. It seemed like she was afraid to get hurt again, but never would he do that to her again.

He was about to speak that much she could sense, and she closed her eyes, praying for the best and anticipating the worst. This looked like it could be heading somewhere great, but you never knew. Every single time Aria thought she was certain of something the rug got pulled out from underneath her, and she was getting sick and tired of always landing on her butt.

"It made me realize that I haven't been fair to you, that I haven't thought about what you wanted." He finally spoke, and the tears Aria had attempted to fight back finally escaped the corner of her eyes, and he watched them travel down her cheeks. Choosing not to get sidetracked, he continued his speech; "You were right in your poem. I have only given you half when I should have given you it all. I've always been one foot in and one foot out, despite knowing that whatever we have between us feels so right."

"Don't..."

"I have to." He cut her off before she could even have an input. He needed to say this, and he needed her to hear this also. All of his heartfelt words needed to be said in order to maybe possibly getting the best thing that ever happened to him back. "It broke my heart reading your poem. You didn't want me to read it, but I did. That was wrong, but it led us here. It literally breaks my heart that I have made you feel that way. That was never my intention. I... I just wanted you be happy, but that wasn't really what my pour decisions did for you."

Aria pulled her hands out of his grasp while her tears ran dry, but her eyes were still watery so not much needed to be said before they'd begin again. How dared he say these things to her? The things she actually sort of wanted to hear? He broke her heart, and she needed more than words. She needed him back. That was the only thing that she was certain would mend it.

"Hearing that, Ezra, breaks my heart all over again." Aria tried to explain to him calmly, but though she wasn't crying the tears were clear in her voice, making it crack slightly. "I don't need your words. Your self-reflecting words. If that's what you thought I needed then you clearly didn't understand my poem."

This was difficult. Things would be a lot easier if she could at least where he was trying to go, but unfortunately that was not the case. It was for the best that way. He needed to tell her all these things. He needed to persuade her with his words, and even though she seemed a bit more resistant than what he had hoped for, then he had to hope that he would be able to succeed.

"I didn't exactly have to read between the lines to understand. You want it all. You want me to go all in." Ezra said and locked eyes with Aria again, and what was that he could see? Was that a glimpse of hope in her eyes? "I screwed up. Everything I have done lately has been mistake on mistake. Letting you go was the biggest, but what happens next isn't." He paused as he watched the hope in her eyes become much clearer. It thrilled him, and he carried on with four words he hoped she'd accept. "I want you back."

She looked at him intensely, and even though he could see the hope in her eyes turn into something, he still couldn't sense what she was gonna do or say next. He had his hopes, but you never knew with this not being your typical romance.

"It isn't that easy." She finally said and watched the hope Ezra's eyes fade away, and that was something she needed to fix fast. She loved him. "That's not what I meant. It's not that easy because I don't know where we go from here."

"Do we need to know?" Ezra asked probably a little too fast and too eager, but he was just so happy with Aria's last words. That meant there was a chance for them to be together. A big chance, and that gave him great joy because his love for her was that – great. "As long as we go there together? Wherever we go will be great because I love you."

This weird jolt went through Aria when she heard those words. Often had she thought those words about him, but never had she thought that he felt exactly the same way as her. She felt one more tear on her cheek, but she didn't mind that one because it was a tear of joy after hearing those words. She loved him, too. She wanted him back, too. That was all that mattered now. At least if they were to follow their hearts, but their heads still had to have their inputs.

"I love you, too." Her voice quivered as she revealed those words to him, and she could see him getting emotional about it as well. That was one of the reasons why she loved him: he wasn't like the rest.

"So what does that mean? Are we back together?" He wanted to know, and Aria nodded her head gently and barely noticable, but he still saw it. His heart was racing with happiness now. He caringly placed his hands on Aria's cheeks as he placed a tender kiss on her lips, and then he let go of her, watching her smiling back at him. "I just wish we could be together for real. I mean, this is for real, but I wish I didn't have to hide my love for you. I want to be with you a place where I don't have to hide you."

That was so much progress. It totally eliminated everything in her poem, and that was great except for; "Doesn't that leave us exactly where we were before?"

Ezra nodded. That was true, and he hated himself for having said that last part. That meant they still couldn't have each other, and if he hadn't said that last part they still could, but he couldn't unsay it and neither did he want to. It was the truth. He didn't want to have to hide his relationship with Aria, who was this incredible girl. Words didn't even exist to describe her.

He couldn't have her like he used to, and he didn't want to. He had made progress, and they needed to progress too, and that meant no more hiding what they were and how they felt about each other, but that wasn't possible in Rosewood. They would always have to hide there. They were teacher and student, and for their relationship to be okay he would have to not be her teacher, but still if he changed school he had still been her teacher.

They would have to wait years for it to be okay to show themselves together, maybe even an entire decade. People in Rosewood remembered very well as in: they rarely ever forgot anyting. So they would probably never be able to be together openly in their own town, but people in Rosewood didn't really matter that much. Aria's parents were probably the only two people in Rosewood whose opinion mattered, and what parents would ever be okay with their daughter dating her current or previous teacher? No-one.

So in Rosewood he would always have to hide Aria, and he didn't want to anymore. And then a thought struck him: they could never have real relationship in Rosewood, one they didn't have to hide. So there was only one option.

"Run away with me." As soon as the words had gotten past his lips he could see her freaking out, but it was the only way for their relationship to work.

"Have you lost your mind?" Aria questioned him with her voice being slightly raised now, but she could already see the answer in his eyes. He hadn't lost his mind. "Where would we even go?"

"Anywhere, does it even matter? Just somewhere we don't have to hide our relationship, and where we can be together for real." He explained to the love of his life, and she could hear how much he wanted this in his voice. How much he wanted to be with her, and how much he wished to not have to hide them anymore. It was tempting. "What do you say?"

"I..."

**You give me half, but I want it all**

_**Disclaimer; **I don't own Pretty Little Liars. Book or show, though this is based on the show. I sometimes dream that I do :). Oh, but I do own the snippets of the poem in this fic – it's actually from a song I wrote some time ago :)_

_So I sat with my songbook a couple weeks ago – the book I write songs in – and I was reading through the entire book, and then I stumbled upon a song I once wrote called **A Kiss or Three**, and they reminded me of Ezria once upon a time on the show, but you can probably guess at what time, and that inspired me to write this. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of what is going to be a fic consisting of three chapters. I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. In case you haven't figured this out yet: I'm a huge Ezria fan. I will most likely only write for them if I write more Pretty Little Liars, but one of my best friends is a huge sucker for Spemily so I have one of those in the works after this for her pleasure ;). Anyways, hope you enjoyed this and please review if so :)_

_**Laters, **_

_**AK-tutti :)**_


	2. Should I Stay or Should I Go?

**Maybe Baby**

**Chapter 2: Should I Stay or Should I Go?**

"I..." Aria had stuttered that one word about five times, and she hadn't managed to construct a proper sentence yet. What was she supposed to say? She wanted him so bad and would have gone with him anywhere, but what with the circumstances? Could she just abandon her family like that? Or her friends for that matter? And what about A if she did? Would he/she intensify his/her attack on the girls with only three to go?

It was a big decision to make. She looked up into Ezra's gorgeous eyes, eyes that she was so insanely in love with. How could she possibly turn him down? It was difficult. She wanted to say yes and just jump into love, but she still had her family and friends in the back of her head. Friends who didn't even know about her relationship with Ezra yet. How was she gonna explain her leaving then, and how was she possibly gonna be able to break Ezra's heart if she decided not to go?

She held Ezra's gaze and tried for the sixth time to utter a complete sentence; "I..."

Ezra reached out for her hands and enveloped them in his to give her his reassurance, to let her know that it was okay to take her sweet time with this decision. It was a big decision to make, and he knew that he was asking a lot from her with that propersition, possibly too much.

He had realized that a world without her wasn't a world at all, and they couldn't have each other completely here. Running away together was the only way. He was sure of that, but he also knew that if Aria had requested the same from him, he would probably have a difficult time making the decision as well. It wasn't just a decision you made like that. It was a life changing decision, and those required time so you wouldn't make the wrong one.

He reached one of her hands up to his lips and kissed it gently, offering her a sweet smile. "You don't have to make the decision right now. Take your time." He said, hoping said time would be in his favor.

"How much time?" Aria wanted to know. She had only left him hanging for about ten minutes so far, but she already felt terrible about it. How long could she take in making this decision before it was too much? Before she lost him?

"How about a couple of days?" He proposed and stared intensely into Aria's eyes, looking for some sort of answer that would let him know if that amount of time was okay. She seemed to be with him so far. "We'll meet at the bus station friday night at 9, and if you decide to go we'll buy a ticket to wherever, and if not then I guess I'll be going by myself. I can't just be your teacher."

Aria felt herself becoming emotional, but held it in. This was her all or nothing. There were a lot of questions, though. "Why would we go to the bus station? You have a car?" She wondered out loud, and it was probably wrong of her to focus on a detail like that if you thought about what was on the line. She was just trying to relieve some of the pressure of the decision.

"I figured running away together like that would be more romantic. I can always have a friend or something drive the car out to us afterwards." He explained while he caught on to what Aria in fact was doing. She was trying to avoid the difficulty of it all. It was a hard and emotional decision to make. "But is the car really what we should be talking about?"

Aria shook her head. "I guess not." She said and looked away for a second. This whole scene was uncomfortable even though she usually loved every second she could spend with Ezra, but this wasn't just some random moment. It was life changing. "But this is so hard. I mean, there is my family and my friends to consider as well. I love you so much, but how do I just leave them?"

Ezra shrugged as he had no idea, but he understood where she was coming from. "I don't know." He paused, preparing himself for the next part. It wasn't difficult to say, but what he had to do afterwards was difficult to do. "But you just take your time until friday night, and I'll try to stay away from you in the mean time so I don't influence your decision. It should come from your heart and not be persuaded by your surroundings."

Aria offered him an innocent smile, and he couldn't help but smile back with all the love in the world. How could they both be so lucky and yet unlucky at the same time? How did they possibly find their perfect match and at the same time have their relationship be illegal? In an ideal world they wouldn't be student/teacher, but those were the cards they were dealt, and now Aria had a decision to make.

"If..." Ezra paused. He couldn't believe he was about to say this, seeing as he had been so paranoid about people finding out, but this was where they were at. "If it will make the decision easier to make you should tell your friends. Maybe they can help."

"You want me to tell my friends?" Aria asked, both her voice and eyes shrieking with disbelief. That poem must really have shaken him up for him to say something like that.

"If it'll make the whole thing easier." Ezra said, letting go of Aria's hand for the first time since they had started up this particular conversation. He sat down on his desk, becoming more at eye level with Aria. He smiled at her the way he always did, the way that would always make her melt. "But it's your decision to make."

"So I have another decision to make before I make the real decision?" Aria questioned, raising her one eyebrow and shooting him a playful look. He chuckled slightly, and it relieved some of the tension in the air from this serious conversation. "You do realize how many times the word decision has been used in the last 15 minutes, right?"

"I know, and you'll probably use it a lot more in the next few days." He acknowledged. They had used that word a lot and probably thought it a lot, but what other word was there? The air grew silent and after a minute Ezra broke it. "Hey, I love you. You know that, right?"

Aria smiled, nodding her head as she stepped into Ezra's open arms and let him wrap them around her gently, holding her in a loving embrace. "I love you, too." Aria said as she rested her head on his shoulder. They remained in that position silently in awhile. Thank God for lunch time.

**Either you're in or out of love**

Aria stepped out of Ezra's class room 5 minutes before the next class started, and she felt a bit hesitant about finding her friends. They knew something was up before, what weren't they gonna think now? How was she supposed to cover this up?

She could always tell them like Ezra had suggested, but wouldn't that just make the decision even harder to make if she let them in on it? She was torn.

She started walking towards the cafeteria to meet her friends, her steps short and very slow trying to delay the inevitable, but barely had she even taken 10 small steps before her friends came racing towards her, looking as concerned as ever.

"Where have you been?" Spencer wanted to know when they finally caught up with her. Spencer was like a blood-hound when she was on a mission to get some information, but Aria couldn't help feeling that maybe it would be best if Spencer sometimes just didn't meddle. Sadly that wasn't in Spencer's nature, though. "Well?"

Aria felt herself being stared down by her friends, each of them looking at her in different ways. The look that bore into her the most and almost made her heart break for keeping the enormous secret from her friends was Emily's. If that tall girl kept her gaze like that Aria might soon have to spill everything.

"I wasn't that hungry." Aria tried to cover up, but could instantly tell her friends weren't buying it when their facial expressions changed. Thank God! A minute more of Emily's stare and...

Hanna shook her head in disbelief. The former Hefty Hanna wasn't buying it because who had often been her companion on a binge, but didn't gain any weight unlike Hanna? That's right, Aria. As far as Hanna knew Aria was never not hungry unless something was wrong.

"I'm sorry, but when are you ever not hungry?" Hanna wondered out loud and caught Aria's gaze, the shorter girl knowing that she had been seen right through and caught in a lie. "I bet you, you're even thinking about food right now, and if I'm not mistaken it's Chunky Monkey."

Aria looked away, avoiding her friends stares. How long could they keep looking at her like that? Emily was looking at her just like she was before, and it was unbearable. When Aria looked away her friends immediately knew that they had caught her in something.

Emily stepped forward, her eyes kept boring into what felt like Aria's soul if she had to explain it herself. Aria couldn't avoid it anymore and gave into having eye contact with the taller girl. Emily read her like no other.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, and Aria looked away again. For how long could she keep this up? Emily, being the most worried of the bunch, repeated her question; "What's wrong, Aria?"

Fine, Aria thought to herself, I give up. She looked up into Emily's eyes again and spoke barely audible; "Can we not do this here?"

Emily heard her, though. She looked back at Spencer and Hanna and made a funny twitch with her head towards the girls' room, indicating that they should go in there. So all of the girls walked over there with Hanna going in first, checking to see if it was all clear.

When it had been declared clear the rest of the girls walked in, Aria a lot more hesitant than the rest. She knew there was no going back now, and she knew that after this conversation her friends would probably see her in a different light.

Emily repeated her question from before; "What's wrong?"

"I..." Aria tried to get some words out, but didn't quite manage. Why couldn't she seem to construct a proper sentence ever since Ezra through his propersition on the table? Where would she even begin?

"I think you should stop dwelling over that boy in Iceland and move on." Hanna tried to help, still thinking she knew what this was all about, but not knowing that she was way off. Why had Aria led them to believe all of these things?

Aria teared up again. She had been doing a lot of that this specific day. "There is no boy in Iceland." She blurted out and immediately saw her friends surprised faces. Blurting it out like that had probably not been the wisest move so she continued in a calmer manner; "I mean there was, but not like that. There was no boy from Iceland when my family moved back. That's not what this is about."

"So you lied to me?" Hanna demanded to know, both looking and sounding very unimpressed with her shorter friend. How could she just lead them on and lie to them like that? Hadn't they been nothing, but honest with each other? Wasn't it lies like that A would use to try and break them up? How could Aria do this?

"It's not specifically a lie. I mean... There was a boy, but it's not this boy." Aria tried to explain herself and calm Hanna down, but only seemed to make things worse. She had now revealed that there wasn't a boy from Iceland, but there was in fact another boy. Yet another lie.

She could see that her friends were upset. Why did she even bother trying? Why had she, cornered by her friends, decided that it was probably best to let them know about Ezra? At this rate they were never gonna know because Hanna clung herself on to the tiny details of it all.

The bell rang, but the girls didn't obey it. Aria had some explaining to do so they didn't care about class. This seemed more important somehow. They needed some answers. Aria needed to fix her lies.

"So there isn't a boy in Iceland, but there is another boy?" Hanna demanded to know again. At least it sounded more like a demand than a question. Boy, Aria didn't like that girl when she was this angry. Well, not when she was this angry with her. "Are there other things you haven't bothered to tell us? We tell each other everything."

"I couldn't tell you this." Aria yelled and startled her friends yet again. How come they always seemed to get a bit terrified when they actually found Aria yelling for once? Maybe because she didn't yell at them that often? Even when they fought she would do it in a very calm tone of voice. Best not scare them anymore so she repeated herself in a much calmer way; "I mean, I couldn't tell you this. About this boy. I mean about this _man_. I couldn't."

Emily stood quietly at the sidelines. Well, Spencer had been quiet so far, too, but she somehow seemed more engaged in the conversation than Emily had been. It sort of broke Emily's heart to see Hanna grill their tiny little friend this hard, barely giving her any kind of chance to explain herself properly. Whatever Aria said Hanna seemed to get more and more angry with her. How could she fix this and give Aria a chance to explain herself in the right way?

"How about we all just calm down and give Aria a chance to come clean without attacking her after every little sentence?" Emily suggested, looking at both Spencer and Hanna (but mostly Hanna) with a certain look in her eyes that only Emily could pull off. Every look in Emily's register always seemed to bear into her friends so they silently agreed. She then looked at Aria with anticipation: "Well?"

Aria smiled at Emily before she started talking because she had really appreciated the taller girl butting in like that. "Thank you, Em." She paused to collect herself. She hadn't thought that when she'd actually tell her friends about Ezra it would be this hard. How could she possibly have known? "I just... I'm really sorry for lying to you guys, letting you believe there was a guy in Iceland when there infact wasn't. I should have been honest with you, but it wasn't just about me. I had to respect somebody else's wishes." Aria explained a little further and watched her friends taking in this knowledge, and she was glad to see that Hanna seemed to have calmed down a bit. "This guy I haven't told you about is someone older, and I met him when I had just moved back. It was a few days before school started, actually, and..."

"I'm sorry? So you've been lying to us ever since you got back?" Spencer chipped in, interrupting Aria way before she could finish, and the look in Spencer eyes clearly stated that she was far from impressed. Hanna started being pissed, and now Spencer seemed to be taking over. "Our entire friendship is based on you lying to us, is that how it is?"

Emily, who was also slightly disappointed in Aria as well, but hadn't shown it so far, shot Spencer a look. There was a time for everything. Right now Aria needed to explain some things, and afterwards if they were still angry they could ask questions and let her know.

Spencer stopped her attack at Aria, and the smaller girl thanked her lucky stars that Emily was there, otherwise she'd probably already be dead. Something told her, though, that they didn't care about what she had to say to justify it all. They just wanted to know the truth immediately without any stories leading up to it.

"The reason I've kept it a secret is not because I didn't wanna tell you, but I just couldn't. I promised not to." Aria explained further, and she knew even when looking down at her feet that her friends didn't look like they gave a shit. She carried on: "He's like I said older, and you actually know him."

"Who gives a flying monkey butt about all that?" Hanna finally blurted out. She had always been the most impatient out of all them, and she'd had enough of Aria's talking now. She just wanted the freaking truth! Was that too much to ask from a best friend who was supposed to be nothing, but honest with them? "Just tell us who the hell the guy is!"

Aria was stunned by her blonde friend's sudden outburst, but she realized she had been beating around the bush a little bit. It hadn't been _that_ much in Aria's opinion, but Hanna had always been an impatient one who didn't seem to even consider for the slightest bit that this might be difficult for Aria to get out.

"It's..." Aria tried, but she couldn't quite get it out. She looked up from her feet and saw that her friends were now listening more intensely, waiting impatiently to hear who had been the cause of all of Aria's lies. "It's... uhm..."

"JUST SAY IT!"

"HANNA!"

"Sorry..."

If the situation hadn't been so serious Aria might have laughed at the comic of that outburst, but it was very serious. She was on the spot. Why was it so difficult to just tell them that it was Ezra? She had wanted to for so long, and it had always seemed so easy in her head, but it was apparently a lot more difficult in reality.

She sighed to herself while she thought that there was no way back now. She should just jump right out and tell them. Maybe they could ease her situation once they had gotten used to it and had mellowed a bit.

Here goes nothing, she thought. "It's Ezra." She finally revealed and watched for her friends' reaction. There was none so she repeated herself in case they hadn't heard. "The guy I've been seeing, it's Ezra. Or Mr. Fitz as you call him."

Hanna walked up to Aria, and the smaller girl could not read her expression so she anticipated Hanna's words with slight curiosity. If it was good or bad she did not know yet.

The blonde just stood before her friend and watched her for awhile. When she spoke after what seemed like an eternity to Aria there was no emotion in her voice, none whatsoever. "We're no longer friends." And all of the sudden Aria realized the anger and disappointment in Hanna's eyes. Her heart sank as her blonde friend turned around and began walking out of there.

"Hanna!" Aria tried to call after her friend. She didn't know what she had hoped to achieve, but those words had really hurt her, and she couldn't just not be friends with Hanna. She had to smooth things out, but the blonde chose to ignore her and proceeded to walk out of the room. Then she was gone, and Aria turned towards Emily and Spencer. "Please tell me you're not as upset as Hanna."

Then Spencer walked up to her, but unlike Hanna Aria had been able to read the expression on her face: Disappointment. In the form of immensity, but hopefully the smart girl would be able to forgive her and not be as harsh as Hanna.

Aria didn't have to wait long for Spencer to speak, and Aria forgot why she had even been so foolish to hope for something other than what she got. She was the youngest out of the four so that obviously had to be why she was so foolish to believe that everything could actually be alright.

"You just killed the Aria I knew and loved." Okay, so Spencer could be harsher than Hanna, Aria thought as those very mean words left her friend's lips. She had to hold back a tear as Spencer continued to speak. "I'm so disappointed in you."

And then Spencer was out there as well, leaving Aria to wonder how she could have been that mean. Regardless of how mad Spencer was at her it didn't give her the right to say that. It didn't give her the right to say something that hurtful. It could never be taken back, and even if they could get past it those words would always haunt them. What had gotten into Spencer?

"Spencer!" Aria called out to her, but she knew it was too late. She turned around to face Emily and looked at her with pleading eyes. She hoped to God that she would at least understand and be supportive. If just one of her friends understood and was there for her it would make it all easier, but would she be that lucky? "Emily?"

Aria urged for Emily to speak, to just say something. The svimmer had been looking down at the floor, clearly upset by the whole situation, but Aria still hoped for understandance. Emily looked up from the floor and stared at Aria with the look that the shorter girl couldn't stand to have bearing into her soul.

"Emily?" Aria repeated, and the tears had started to form in her eyes. She locked her gaze with her taller friend and practically begged her to say something with her eyes. Anything, but so far nothing. A tear escaped the corner of her eye, and she tried to ignore the rest of them, but they soon began to flow freely.

The taller girl's stare intensified, and then she stepped up to Aria, and the smaller girl seemed to have hope. Emily looked down upon her, but said nothing. She simply shook her head to underline the disappointment she was feeling, and then she turned around and walked away without a word with Aria crying after her.

"Emily!"

**Half is not all I got**

Aria's mind was a haze that day as she stepped onto the quard when the last bell of the day had rung. She knew there was chaos around her with people getting out of school and going home, but it was like it all just flew past her.

Her mind was wrapped up with everything that had been going on that day. Ezra finally stepped up and had proposed that they run away together, and she really was tempted to do just that. He even did something as surprising as suggesting she told her friends, and she finally did.

Hanna had told her that they were no longer friends. It hurt her feelings, it really did, but she also knew that Hanna was a kind of girl who'd blow up at first and later calm down a bit. It still hurt, though. She knew it was probably all her fault 'cos she had kept it all from them, but they had kept things from her, too. Hanna and her cleptomanic ways, plus the fact that she was once bulimic. That was huge, and Aria had never looked at her with blame.

Hanna's words hadn't been the worst, though. It was Spencer who had hurt her the most, and Aria had seriously thought that Spencer would have somehow been the most understanding, but apparently no such luck. You just killed the Aria I knew and loved. How could Spencer have said something like that to her? Something that harsh and out of character? It was so unlike Spencer to say something like that, but then again you can never know someone completely. It wasn't like Spencer was a saint either! I mean; Ian and Wren, anyone? And did Aria ever raise a judgemental eyebrow? No. How could Spencer behave like that?

Aria knew she had been wrong in not telling her friends, she really did. She knew she had screwed up big time by hiding it from her friend, especially when Emily had looked at her with those eyes. She would have prefered it if Emily had said something harsh like Hanna and Spencer, but no. Emily had chosen to look at her with those eyes that Aria was sure Emily knew bore into her soul, and it really hurt. She had hoped for some encouraging words from at least one of her friends, and that they wouldn't judge her that harshly. She didn't judge Emily when she dropped the gay bombshell on them, and that's a huge thing to hide from your best friends. That's like hiding who you are.

Aria never hid who she was! She simply just kept a little part of her life from them, and as wrong as that was it didn't give her friends the right to talk to her like that. Hanna was mean, Spencer was so harsh and out of character, and Emily... those eyes.

She knew that her friends would have some sort of reaction, just not that one. She had hoped they could've talked about it, and they would have been able to deal with it. It was really important to her that they would, but they didn't. Now she was all alone with this massive decision, and all she wanted was to talk to someone about it. She wanted to get some of the weight off of her shoulders by discussing it with someone other than Ezra, but sadly none of her friends were 'available' to do so.

Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted Jenna sitting on a bench in the quard, probably waiting for Toby to come and take her home. Aria sort of knew she had been there, though her mind had been hazy. She had only just noticed her now.

It was incredible in the worst kind of way how heavy the guilt of the Jenna thing was, and Aria hated herself for it every day. She had wanted to apologize from day one. She was that kind of person, but Ali being Ali had somehow convinced her that Jenna was this horrible person, and that she somehow deserved it. Ali had in so many words forbidden her to talk to Jenna after the Jenna thing, but Aria didn't care anymore.

Her friends would probably hate her even more for what came next, but she found herself surprisingly walking towards Jenna. She knew what they would say, but they had written her off, and she really needed someone to talk to. Jenna was as good as any, and Aria seriously needed to finally apologize. It was I don't know how many years overdue.

She was sure she saw Spencer standing by the doors of the school, probably staring at her with disbelief, but why should she care? She just killed the Aria, Spencer knew and loved. None of her friends had the right to dictate her not to talk to Jenna anymore. Who knew? Maybe Jenna was just a very misunderstood, nice person?

Aria was only inches away from the bench which Jenna was seated on, and when she finally reached it and stood before her she swallowed a lump in her throat. Here goes nothing, she thought and sat down next to Jenna.

"Yes?" Jenna spoke and seemed to look right at Aria, even though she couldn't see her. There was the guilt again.

Aria swallowed another lump and finally managed to speak; "It's me. Aria." She tried to make her voice sound steady and confident, but she didn't quite succeed.

"What do you want?" Jenna wanted to know, using a very demanding tone. Aria didn't blame her after what she and her friends had done to her.

Aria looked at Jenna's sunglasses. She remembered that Jenna had very beautiful eyes, and that she was a beautiful girl in generel. Not so much now. There was this evident sadness over her, and why wouldn't there be? For so long she had been able to see, and now she wasn't able to anymore.

The guilt Aria had been feeling ever since that day was digging into her even more now, and that was probably due to the fact that she was sitting next to Jenna at that moment.

Ali had told them that the pervert Toby was watching them through the window. These days Aria wondered if that was even true. Ali had then gotten the idea to teach Toby a lesson. She convinced the girls that they should throw a stink bomb in Toby's shed, but it turned out it wasn't a stink bomb. It was something much worse, and Aria was convinced to this day that Ali was very aware of that, even though she had convinced the girls it was an accident. It wasn't. Ali wanted to hurt Jenna, and Aria was sure that her dead friend knew that Jenna was in there. Regardless of what they threw in the shed Aria should have stopped her. It was wrong what they did, and they never even apologized.

"Do you have time?" Aria asked with a pleading voice. Jenna was blind which made it important to bear it all in the voice. Hopefully Jenna would be able to hear in her voice how badly she wanted to talk.

"What do you want?" Jenna repeated, sounding just as unimpressed with Aria as she did before.

Aria sighed and closed her eyes, praying that she'd somehow be able to talk to Jenna. Her friends had been very clear about how they felt so Aria wouldn't bother them anymore. If Aria in the end decided to leave with Ezra she kind of hoped they'd feel like hell.

She opened her eyes and looked at Jenna, hating herself for being the reason no-one was able to lock eyes with the once so beautiful brunette anymore.

"I just needed someone to talk to." Aria finally spoke and cut right to the chase. Jenna was the kind of person who knew what kind of agenda people had, even when they were going on and on about something else. Best avoid that.

That seemed to have caught Jenna's attention. "I thought you and your posse were inseperable?" She said and smirked, and in a brief second Aria remembered why they disliked her, but then reminded herself that they were probably that reason she was this way.

"We were, but they've cut me off." Aria revealed with a sad smile, and she could almost feel Spencer's eyes burn in the back of her neck, although she wasn't able to see her friend.

Jenna sat quietly next to Aria for a bit, and the shorter girl wondered what she would say next. Would it be a remark like before, or was this going somewhere?

With a smile Jenna spoke; "Did they find out about you and Mr. Fitz?"

Aria's jaw dropped. How the hell did she know? She couldn't even freaking see!

"How do you know that?" Aria questioned, disbelief streaming through her voice. She was really freaked out that Jenna knew that.

"I'm blind, Aria." Jenna smiled that trademark smile of hers, and for once she didn't sound like she blamed Aria for anything. "I rely on my other senses. I've been in the room during one of your formal conversations, remember? Your voices were so full of love for each other, even though you were trying to sound so detached. I'm not stupid."

Aria was slightly impressed by Jenna at that moment. She was blind, but saw more than you'd think. A blind girl who weren't even Aria's friend had figured it out, and her friends who could see hadn't. If that wasn't impressive then what was?

"Yeah, I told them about him earlier, and they cut me off." Aria watched Jenna listen to her words, and then she decided to just jump right out with the next thing and just forget about the other stuff for a little while. "Jenna, I just wanted to say I'm sorry about you know." Jenna sat up straight and was suddenly listening more intently. "We were just like Ali's puppet monkeys. We thought it was just a stink bomb, but regardless of what it was I should have stopped her. It was wrong what we did, and not a day goes by where I don't regret it. If I could take one day back... It would be that day."

Jenna didn't smile, move or say anything for awhile, and Aria was a little nervous. Obviously an apology wouldn't be enough to make up for blinding a girl. Why was Aria always so damn optimistic?

Aria looked around for a bit while she waited for Jenna to respond. Sure enough Spencer was still staring them down. Why, oh why couldn't she just give the blood hound act a rest for just one second?

She sensed Jenna move next to her and focussed her attention back on the blind girl, patiently awaiting her response. Jenna smiled slightly. It wasn't a big smile. It was barely noticable, infact, but Aria was certain she saw it.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear that?" Jenna's voice trembled, and Aria saw a tear streaming down her cheek. Only on rare occasions had she ever seen Jenna cry before. "All this time you kept away from me because your queen bee told you I was a bad person, and that I deserved what you did to me. Even after her death. I know you talk about me behind my back. You probably say things like 'Jenna is so creepy' or 'she deserved it'. You have this idea that I'm out to get you somehow." She paused during her emotional rant to take a comforting breath, and Aria let her take all the time she needed. "I know I've been bitter and done some things to you as well, but all I really wanted to know was if you were sorry or not, or if you regretted what you've done just the least bit. It never came, though, you all just acted like I deserved it and stopped addressing it. I just wanted an apology. I was mad and grudging because you didn't seem to regret it."

"But I do regret it. More than anything. What we did was horrible." Aria quickly said after Jenna was done with her rant. The blind girl smiled at Aria, and the short girl could've sworn it was appreciative. "That's one of the darkest days of my life. I wish I could make it go away."

"You're a sweet girl, Aria. I've always thought so." Jenna acknowledged, and Aria smiled at her although the petite girl knew that Jenna wouldn't be able to see it. "I often wondered what you were doing with Alison when you're this nice person. You're the only one to apologize, and that shows growth. You've learned from what you did, and I can hear in your voice that you really regret it." Jenna paused, and then she fumbled her hand across the bench and place it reassuringly on top of Aria's. Wow, had they been wrong, she thougt. "And it's okay."

This massive weight was lifted from Aria's shoulders. She smiled this giant smile, almost bigger than the one she wore when she heard 'I love you' from Ezra. Who would have thought that all Jenna wanted was some regret and apologies. They had wasted a lot of valuable time being at war with each other.

Aria knew that Spencer was probably fuming right now at the sight of Aria actually hitting it off with Jenna, and the other two surely wouldn't like it either! Right now Aria didn't care. Jenna would at least talk to her and didn't seem to judge her for the Ezra thing. She didn't even seem to blame her for the Jenna thing anymore.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me. I've wanted to apologize for so long." Aria exclaimed and surprised even herself when she threw her arms around Jenna, squeezing her tight. She pulled away from the blind girl and was slightly embarrassed by her sudden burst of PDA, but luckily Jenna couldn't see her turn red. "Sorry, didn't mean to get so physical. It's just such a relief."

Jenna didn't comment on it, but sat there quietly which could only mean she was contemplating what to say. You could always hear with the way that Jenna spoke that every single word was thought out. She was blind, and that probably explained it. When you lose one of your senses, the others become stronger. Or something like that? You probably couldn't call speaking a sense.

Aria decided to let Jenna take her time to think of something to say next, and she wasn't gonna force anything by proceeding to talk. Even though Jenna had forgiven her things were still fragile.

Spencer was still watching them, but trying to make it look like she wasn't. Aria knew her too well, though, and wasn't fooled for one second. The nerve on that girl...

"That's not all, is it?" Jenna finally spoke, and she wore her know-it-all trademark smirk. "You didn't just come here to apologize, did you?"

"No." Aria admitted and felt slightly ashamed, but what else was she supposed to do? After what her friends had said? She had wanted to apologize for so long, but that hadn't been her main reason for going to Jenna. "My friends won't talk to me, and I really needed them. I confided in them, and they cut me off, and they didn't even hear all of it. There was something else I needed to tell them and needed their help with."

The smirk never left Jenna's face, but somehow it didn't seem that scary anymore. "So you came to me?"

"Yes."

"What was it that you didn't get to tell them?" Jenna wanted to know, and the trademark smirk disappeared. It made Aria believe that she wanted to listen and help.

Aria hesitated to speak, but eventually she got herself to do it. "Ezra and I have been through a lot, and he has always been one foot in and one foot out, but he finally stepped up." She paused and fidgetted a little with the ring on her finger before she carried on. "He asked me to run away with him so we can be together for real."

"And you're not sure what to do?" Jenna asked. It didn't feel like a question, though. It felt more like she already knew the answer. How could she be blind and yet so insightful?

"Maybe. I don't know. All I know is that if I go it will feel like I'm abandoning my friends and my family, and if I don't go I'm giving up on the best thing that's ever happened to me." She sighed at the difficulty of the whole scenario, wondering when it all got so complicated. "I'm so torn and confused. There are so many reasons why I should stay, and just as many to why I shouldn't. I thought my friends could lessen the blow, but they totally disowned me when I told them about Ezra, and I didn't even get the chance to tell them that I might not be here anymore after friday." She paused again. "What would you do?"

"Does it even matter what I would do?" Jenna reached out and found Aria's hand on the bench. "What matters is that you follow your heart."

Follow your heart? Had Aria gone through all this just to get 'follow your heart'. If it was that easy she wouldn't have this much trouble making the decision. She could have gotten better advice from Jenna's dog, and the blind girl was usually so smart.

"That's it?" Aria exclaimed and knew she probably sounded rude, but she was desperate.

Jenna squeezed Aria's hand gently. "I know it sounds cliche, and I can tell that it probably wasn't what you wanted to hear, but you can drive yourself completely insane overthinking every single possibilty. You just have to let go and do what feels right."

"But what if..."

"No! No what ifs. It's time you think about Aria, and what you want." Jenna spoke with such authority, and Aria was completely taken aback by the way Jenna just interrupted. She wasn't offended by it, but listened intently as the blind girl spoke. "You can't think about what happens if you choose one or the other. People are always gonna get hurt, but usually they get over it. It's about what will make you happy. If you choose one or the other just to spare people's feelings you'll only live to regret it." Jenna paused, and Aria sat there almost with tears in her eyes. "Just forget about everything else and just follow your heart. If you don't take a risk for love, what do you take it for?"

Aria didn't know what else to say, but: "Thank you."

Jenna nodded her head slightly as if to say 'you're welcome', and Aria smiled appreciatively at the blind girl even if she knew it wouldn't be seen, but it was probably so clear in her voice. She hoped so.

"Whether I go or not we should keep in touch." Aria said and retrieved her hand from Jenna's, standing up and getting ready to leave. "I know it sounds weird because we were never actually friends, but I feel like we could be."

Jenna smiled as a reply, and Aria smiled back. Why did she keep doing things she knew Jenna wouldn't be able to see? Aria shrugged it off and started to walk away, throwing a goodbye and see you later over her shoulder. She didn't know which was more accurate yet.

Aria was prepared to walk home. She had caught a ride from Hanna to school that day, and she knew it was out of the question to catch one home. Her friends had disowned her after all.

She was almost out of the quard when Spencer approached her. It was unbelievable how that girl almost did everything as if on cue. She was like a wind up dog who always did the same tricks, her trick being sticking her nose in everyone's business, always seeking answers.

Aria tried to ignore her and continued her walk home. Spencer followed her, and Aria wished she was able to say something as nasty to Spencer as she had said to her, but at that moment hurt prevented Aria's words.

"What did Jenna want?" Spencer wanted to know, but Aria ignored her. "Did she say something about that night? Or did she confess to being A? Did she threaten you. What did she say?"

Aria stopped in her tracks, and so did Spencer. "It so happens that Jenna and I had a nice conversation, and she was very sweet to me." As the words left her lips she could immediately see on Spencer's face that she wasn't buying it, and that really annoyed Aria. The hurt disappeared for a brief second, and she attempted to say something nasty: "She behaved like a friend, unlike any of you."

Admittedly she failed to say something really nasty, but hopefully it stung anyway. She locked eyes with Spencer, and it didn't appear to have hurt the slightest bit, but then again when Spencer was on a mission all words just bounced right off her.

"Please, Jenna nice? There's something behind it." Spencer started her Jenna bashing babble that Ali had installed in them way back when, and all Aria could do was roll her eyes at it. "Jenna has always been mean to us and will always be out to get us. We agreed never to talk to her or bring up the Jenna thing."

"You mean Ali decided that for us, but all I've ever wanted to do is apologize which is exactly what I did, and it turns out that was all she ever wanted." Aria tried her best to contain herself from blowing up even if they were all alone there, but she made sure the fury was clear in her eyes. "We walked around acting like she deserved it. Jenna is this, Jenna is that, and we just took Ali's word for it, but it turns out she's very nice. All she wanted was an apology, but instead we made her feel like this horrible person who deserved it. Well, I apologized so there; your precious Jenna secret is safe."

Spencer looked at Aria like she'd been dropped as a child, or like she was stupid to be that naive in regards to Jenna. "You actually don't believe a word coming out of that snake's mouth?" Spencer questioned, disbelief streaming through her voice. Aria threw her arms in the air and yelled out a very irritable 'OH MY GOD', but Spencer didn't seem acknowledge that sudden outburst. "For all we know she's A, and she's just trying to lure you in."

"Really? You don't say!" Aria replied, sarcastically. She could see her taller friend wasn't amused, but frankly she didn't care. "So Jenna is A this week? Last week it was Toby, so who is it next week?" She didn't even care that she was probably making the damage on their friendship even harder to repair, but why should she? Out of all the things her friends had said to her that day what Spencer said had been the worst. "I had a problem, and I tried to confide in my friends, but they blew me off. I did what I had to do, and Jenna actually helped unlike you."

Out of the corner of her eye Aria could see Hanna's car drive past, and it was no surprise that it just drove by like it had, but right now her focus was on her argument with Spencer.

The taller girl had to admit that she had never seen Aria this upset, and what she had said previously that day had been harsh, but what were you suppose to say when you couldn't even recognise your best friend?

"Why are you so naive? Why do you trust her after everything she's done to us?" Spencer wanted to know, pointing in the direction where Jenna had long disappeared from while looking at Aria like a very disappointed parent. "I thought we were in this together?"

"You thought... You thought we were in this together?" Aria practically shrieked, and she didn't even care anymore. They were at a deserted school, and even if it hadn't been Aria wouldn't have cared anyway. Spencer was unbelievable. "It seems to me you're just like Alison, telling us what to do, and we just follow suit. Dance puppets, freakin' dance!" Aria paused and locked eyes with Spencer, watching her words hitting hard. It was the worst thing you could do, comparing Spencer to Alison. "But you know what? I'm done. I'm gonna dance to the beat of my own drum now, and if I wanna be friends with Jenna then that's what I'm gonna do."

"Aria..." Spencer tried, but for once struggled to find the right words to say. What Aria had said really hurt. "I thought we were friends."

Aria nodded her head to mock Spencer's words, and she had to admit that she didn't even recognise herself at that moment, but she was just so angry. She didn't even know that her tiny body could contain that much anger.

"Yeah, but like you said earlier today; I killed the Aria you knew and loved." Aria paused for a moment and saw tears forming in Spencer's eyes, and she hated herself a little bit for that, but Spencer started this war. "I have to thank you, though. You're making things that much easier so don't be surprised if I'm suddenly gone."

Spencer was completely thrown, and then Aria walked away without a word, and Spencer stood there feeling like she should say something, anything, but then the smaller girl came back. Spencer saw a light.

"Oh, but I'll see you at my funeral."

Then she was gone, and Spencer's light had disappeared.

**I lift us up, but you let me down**

It was finally night on that day of mixed emotions. It started off bad, but then got a little bit better when Ezra finally stepped up, told her Aria he loved her and proposed they ran away together. If it had just ended there! She wasn't that lucky, though. She then came clean to her friends about her relationship with Ezra, and they blew up at her and said horrible things, and then she had a break-through with Jenna and believed they could now become friends. It all ended with a nasty fight with Spencer, and now Aria was sitting at her desk, contemplating everything.

She had decided to go with Ezra, but then two minutes later changed her mind. So she wasn't going, but then changed her mind back another two minutes later. It had been like that ever since she got home, and she had thought her conversation with Jenna had made everything easier. Maybe it had. Maybe things would be harder if she hadn't had that conversation, but it was still quite difficult.

Okay, that's it! I'm going, she thought to herself. She sighed and felt happy with the decision, but then she changed her mind again. Whenever she decided to go she'd feel guilty, thinking about her friends, but were they even her friends anymore? Why should she feel bad if she decided to go after everything they said to her?

She knew A would probably intensify his/her attack on the remaining three girls if she decided together, and she couldn't do that to her friends. Her heart would break if anything happened to them even after everything, and who really knew what A was capable of?

What hadn't A threatened with these days? It was like it was Alison tormenting them, knowing everybody's secrets, but that was impossible. Ali was dead which made the things A knew all the more freaky. It was like having cameras on you at all times, and whenever something would happen A would use it against them immediately. Speaking of, why hadn't Aria heard from her pesty little friend that day? Was A having a little day off?

One thing she wouldn't miss if she decided to go was A's nasty little messages, but then what wouldn't the bitch do to her friends if she did. Why couldn't she just do as Jenna suggested and follow her heart. Why did she keep overthinking things? Why for that matter did she keep taking her friends into regards? They had made their feelings for her perfectly clear, especially Spencer who Aria had always felt just a tiny little bit closer to. Spencer had been the one Aria thought for sure would understand, but no.

She would break the hearts of her family and friends if she decided to go, but she would break Ezra's if she didn't. Although if she went it wouldn't be the last she would see of her family and friends, but if she didn't it would be the last she would see of Ezra. Sure, if she ran away with Ezra and came back to visit a few years down the line things would be complicated, said family and friends probably wouldn't be so eager to talk to her.

She was torn even with Jenna's great advice echoing in her head. If you didn't take a risk for love, what did you take it for? The love she felt for Ezra was immense, no doubt about it, but was it enough to make her go? She still loved her friends, and she also loved her family a lot even if it was as messed up as a family could be, but would she hate herself if she stayed?

She knew she was overthinking it like Jenna had adviced her not to, but Aria was a very loyal girl, and that loyalty was split into dimensions. What was she supposed to do?

A yawn crept up and surprised her. She must have worn herself out contemplating things so much. She should just go to bed and call it a day, hopefully she'd be able to put all of her thoughts on a shelf until the next day. It wasn't as if she was required to make the decision today. Ezra gave her until friday so that gave her a few days, and hopefully she'd be able to think a little more clearly tomorrow with the news being a day old and easier to digest.

Aria dragged her feet to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and put on her W.I.T.C.H. pajamas. She didn't think she was too old to wear that, but sometimes her mother seemed to disagree. One thing she wouldn't miss if she decided to go was her mother criticizing her wardrobe. Or her father doing it for that matter.

She went back to her room and tied her hair in a messy bun with the elastic she had around her wrist, knowing her hair would be impossible to handle in the morning if she didn't. She turned off the light and jumped into bed, but the thoughts didn't leave her like she had hoped they would.

If I go to sleep now I'll get 7 hours of sleep, she thought to herself, but knew that once you started saying that to yourself you'd never be able to fall asleep.

Her phone started buzzing beside her head. Luckily for her she always put it next to her pillow before she went to sleep, otherwise she would have been too lazy to get out of bed and get it. She looked at the display and saw Hanna's name written across the screen.

With a sigh she picked it up. "Hello?" She greeted her friend on the other end of the line, sounding less than enthusiastic.

"Hi. Are you asleep?" Hanna asked, and Aria hated herself a little bit for rolling her eyes at that question.

"No, I taught myself to answer the phone in my sleep."

"You know, sarcasm really doesn't suit you."

"Sorry." Aria quickly said. She hadn't meant to be sarcastic with Hanna, but when she was upset over something that side just came up in her. "So, why did you call?"

"I couldn't sleep." Hanna said, sounding as upset as Aria felt.

"You either?"

"No, I keep thinking about how mean I was to you today." Hanna paused. The blonde of the group had never been that good at apologizing so this was big. "You didn't deserve that. Sorry."

Hearing those words warmed Aria's heart. "That's okay." Aria said. Forgiving Hanna was always easy, and she hadn't even been the nastiest one. Why wouldn't she forgive her?

"Spencer told me the two of you had a fight after school." Hanna said, always one for a gossip. "What was that about?"

At the mention of Spencer, Aria could feel herself becoming nasty again. "Oh, the puppet master didn't like me talking to Jenna, and after what she said to me she still felt like she had the right to control me." She paused. "Sorry, I don't know what's coming over me today, but yes. We did have a fight, and it got nasty. I got nasty."

"Yeah, I can tell you're a bit feisty today. Thumbelina has a temper." Hanna said, and Aria felt herself chuckle a little and stunned that Hanna had referenced Hans Christian Andersen. She was impressed.

"I have a lot going on." Aria simply said, feeling extremely grateful that one of her friends was at least talking to her.

"Yeah, why don't you tell me about that?" Hanna said, and then in 30 minutes Aria had poured her heart and soul out to Hanna and told her everything that had happened that day. Everything from the thing with Ezra to the fight with Spencer, practically word for word. Everything. "Wow, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna go?"

Aria let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know!" She exclaimed and worried for a second that she might have woken the house, but thankfully she didn't. "I keep thinking about it. I have literally gone over every possible scenario in my head, and I still don't know what to do."

"Well, I hate to side with Jenna, but maybe you should forget about everything and just listen to your heart." Hanna said, and you could tell she really cared, and Aria loved her for not blowing up over the fact that she had talked to Jenna. It meant a lot. "What does the sugar, spice and everything nice inside of you say?"

"Okay, that's the last height reference you're making today." Aria tried to lecture her best friend, but she knew she hadn't heard the last of it. In a short amount of time Hanna had refered to her as Thumbelina and a Powerpuff Girl.

"I'm okay with that. It's gonna be tomorrow in like 15 minutes." Hanna paused, and Aria just knew she was smirking on the other end. "I can wait that long." Another pause. "Seriously though, don't think about us when you make this decision. Think about you. We just want you to be happy, even Emily and Spencer even if they are impossible right now. Don't worry about A either 'cos we can handle the bitch, okay? Just worry about Aria."

"Okay, I'll try." Aria said and smiled, knowing that it would be easier to fall asleep now after that conversation with Hanna. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Strawberry Sh..." Hanna stopped herself before she made another 'short' reference. She carried on being supportive, making up for the rest of the day. "Anyway, I know it's probably easier said than done, but how about we discuss it further tomorrow after school over Chunky Monkey? Ease the situation a little."

Aria thought it over for a few seconds, but already knew the answer. Maybe talking about it the next day with Hanna at a decent hour would actually ease things a bit. Ezra had even thought talking to her friends about it would make it easier, too bad they had to fight about him first. At least one of them had come around.

"How come when you have to tempt me to do something you always use Chunky Monkey?" Aria asked as a joke, and she could hear Hanna giggle on the other end.

"I know your weakness, babe." Hanna said, laughing. Aria joined in, and as soon as the laughter had died down Hanna continued: "What do you say?"

"Of course. What kind of a 'double date' would it be if didn't show up?" Aria paused. She loved Hanna for calling. At first she hadn't wanted to talk to her, but thank God she picked up. Now she was able to end the day on a good note. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye."

Aria hung up the phone and put it back next to her pillow, still smiling after her conversation with Hanna. She closed her eyes and fell right to sleep now that Hanna seemed to have eased everything a little.

Tomorrow was another day.

**I want you to catch me if I fall**

_**Disclaimer;** Still not owning Pretty Little Liars, that's still just a wish. All I own is snippets of my own song A Kiss Or Three which I might just start officially calling Maybe Baby. Just sounds more catchy._

_That officially ends chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, and if so feel free to review. To those of you who reviewed the last chapter; thank you so much :). They are always appreciated. I would like to remind you that the next chapter is the last, and I'm still leaving the fall out open, but let's get back to this chapter. It was very difficult to write. I wanted to somehow make Jenna someone you could like, and I found that hard. Hopefully I succeeded just a little bit. I know Spencer was very out of character with what she said to Aria in the bathroom, but sometimes we all do things a little out of character. Plus I like to put my own spin on the characters, but still make them recognisable. Does that make sense? The fight between Spencer and Aria after Aria's talk with Jenna was actually the most difficult to write. The reason; they are my favorite characters. I love team Sparia. Personally, though, I actually hate saying that I have a favorite characters because I love all of the girls so much. It just single, barely noticable hair that seperates them a little. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. Yada yada yada. Please review :)._

_**Laters, **_

_**AK-tutti :)**_

_(P.S.: Normally I dedicate the chapters of my fics to the person who wrote the review that touches me the most, but it wouldn't feel right to do so with this baby as it is my first step into the ff world of PLL.)_

_Oh, and I know Toby is on the A team now, but he wasn't when I began this so the fight between Aria and Spencer actually touched the truth without me knowing :)._


	3. The Finish Line

**Maybe Baby**

**Chapter 3: The Finish Line.**

Aria tumbled out of bed the next morning, knocking the phone on the floor in the process. She picked it up and checked the time; 8:30. Great, in the midst of it all she had somehow forgotten to set her alarm clock, either that or she had magically turned it off in her sleep. It didn't matter, though, she had still overslept.

No matter how much she hurried she would still be be late, however she had to hurry either way. She rushed to her closet, grabbing random things from it. She didn't have time to pick something proper so what she would have to wear that day would be a pair of denim shorts and flowy with shirt with beads on the neckline. It wasn't the ever so colorful Aria wardrobe, but it would have to do.

She rushed to the bathroom without making her bed, she simply didn't have time for that. She brushed her teeth, did a light and quick make-up, and then she finished by brushing her hair and putting it in a high ponytail. Normally Aria was an accessory kind of girl, but that specific day she didn't have time for it. Worst case scenario she knew that Hanna always had emergency accessories in her locker.

She ran back to her closet to figure out the shoe situation. She scanned her shoes and tried to decide which would be quicker to throw on. She opted for her dark brown Ugg boots because it was simply just sticking her feet in them. Again not her usual colorful self, but it would just have to do.

She mentally kicked herself as she ran downstairs. Why did she have to oversleep? She knew why! It was because of the decision she had to make about her and Ezra. It had kept her up late, and then came the phone call with Hanna, and even with her late night she was no step closer to having made a decision. She was still torn, but hopefully her day with Hanna that day would help ease things a little. It could also make things worse, but Aria chose not to think about that. She knew she didn't wanna leave her friends, but she didn't wanna leave Ezra either. What the day with Hanna would hopefully do was assure her that either way things would be okay. That was what she hoped for.

When Aria came downstairs she was surprised by the smell of coffee, and when she stepped into the kitchen her mom sat there by the kitchen table, sure enough sipping coffee. Ella looked up at Aria and smiled as her daughter sat down across from her. She pushed a plate with a spinach bagel on it over to Aria, a girl who oddly enough liked almost anything spinach related.

Aria began nibbling on her bagel while her mother kept sipping her coffee. This just seemed weird. Aria had overslept, and her mother was sitting there totally chillaxed as if it was just a regular sunday morning. Aria was confused to say the least.

"Uhm, mom? Not that I don't like your pressence, but why are you still here?" Aria decided to speak, sounding just as confused as she felt. Her mom simply smiled at her.

"Well, I don't have to be at work until 10 today, sweetie." Ella then said, but Aria was still confused. Her mother sipped her coffee again and continued to smile at her daughter, and she was just a little too happy this early for Aria's liking, and the fact that she was so calm about Aria being late was just odd. She just let her sit there and enjoy her bagel while she should be hurrying off to school. Odd, indeed.

"How come you didn't wake me then?" Aria wanted to know, still confused. She took another bite of her bagel while her mother calmly sipped her coffee again. Aria was a little stressed about it, but man that bagel was good.

Ella chuckled at her daughter. It amused her how forgetful her daughter could be sometimes. "Honey, have you forgotten? You don't have to meet until 10 as well." Ella said, sipping the last of her coffee, and then she grabbed a tomato bagel.

"You couldn't have told me that earlier?" Her mother chuckled at her little freakout, but Aria wasn't amused. She surely looked like crap, and now she found out that she actually would've had time to dress herself properly. Not at all amused. "Look at me, mom! I look like something the cat dragged in because I thought I overslept, and now I find out that I actually did have time to get dressed!" Her mom chuckled again. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"

"Don't be so dramatic, Aria. I think you look very pretty today." Ella said, and Aria had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. Of course she'd say that, she was her mother for crying out loud. She didn't fight the urge hard enough, though, because Ella noticed. "Hey, I'm not just saying it. I mean it. You've had days where you've looked like something the cat dragged in, but today is not one of them. You look nice."

"So you're saying that I sometimes look like something the cat dragged in?" Aria wanted to know, kicking herself for using that specific (and rude) tone with her mother. Ever since her fight with Spencer she just hadn't been able to control it, but she knew for sure that her mom was one of the people she wasn't supposed to take it out on. She quickly retreated the last remark. "Sorry."

Her mom simply smiled and said; "That's okay." She paused to finish the rest of the bagel while Aria was only halfway through with hers. She had always been a slow eater, and normally Ella was too. "Do you want a ride to school once you're done?"

Aria smiled and nodded, and then she tried to finish the rest of her bagel quickly. Quickly turned out to be 15 minutes, and then she helped her mother clean up the kitchen before the both of them walked out to Ella's car.

Ella started the car, and Aria sat quietly in the passenger seat next to her, deep in thought. She couldn't wait to see Hanna, and maybe Ezra? He had said he'd try to stay away from her while she made the decision, but surely she'd be able to sneak a peek of him? She hoped so.

She couldn't believe how incredibly hard this decision proved to be. She wished she could just be the crazy romantic and run off with Ezra without any consequences, but she still had her 'friends' and family to consider in this. How much wouldn't it hurt them if she went? She knew she would still have Hanna no matter what, but she couldn't help thinking the same thoughts over and over again. Would her mom and dad love her the same if she went away with her High School teacher? Would she ever be friends with Emily and Spencer again?

Aria had a feeling that Emily would eventually come around after the revelation that Aria had been seeing Ezra, but would she if she found out that Aria had run off with him? That would most likely multiply the taller girl's disappointment with a thousand, and Aria didn't know why, but she hated disappointing that girl almost more than anything. There was always that sweet silver lining that she would be just as supportive as Hanna once everything had settled, but if she hadn't come around before Aria was supposed to run away with Ezra then the smaller girl wasn't sure she could go. Oh, the dilemmas.

Spencer, however, could rot in hell for all Aria cared. Okay, Aria didn't mean that, but she was just so upset with her friend. The person she thought out all people would understand had been the worst. She knew both Hanna and Emily would be disappointed at first and eventually come around, like Hanna in fact had done. She had just thought that Spencer would have been the first to be supportive, not Hanna. It just proved that you could only know people so well.

Regardless of everything Aria knew deep down that she probably couldn't leave things the way they were with Spencer, but whenever she thought she couldn't possibly go for whatever reason struck her at the time, it felt like her heart was being ripped out at the thought of staying and not going with what was surely the love of her life.

It became more and more clear to her that she needed all of her friends in this, not just Hanna. Hanna was a crazy romantic even more so than Aria herself, but what Aria also needed was for someone to look at it calm and collected without any attached feelings. She knew Spencer could provide that, and therefore she hated the fact that they weren't exactly friends at that point! She also needed Emily's cautious nature, but who knew when the tallest of the bunch would speak to her again?

The advice Jenna had given her yesterday was great, and right after Aria had thought it had made things a lot easier. Why shouldn't Aria take a risk for love? It just wasn't as easy as she had hoped. In the perfect world she would take that risk, run off with Ezra, be on perfect terms with everybody afterwards, and then would all live happily ever after. Nothing was that simple, though. Sigh.

In the back of her mind she hoped that Hanna had somehow filled Spencer and Emily in on the subject, and they now weren't mad or disappointed in her anymore, and they were gonna be helpful on the subject. Knowing Hanna, though, the blonde girl always made it worse before it got better so Aria kind of hoped she hadn't, but then again. No, well... No... Aria had confused even herself. It was all so stressful and complicated, and she knew all three of her friends could ease the situation more than just one, but Aria probably wouldn't be that lucky.

The question that had bothered her all day yesterday and would probably do so for the rest of the day still remained; should she stay or should she go? She wanted to go with all her heart, but a big part of her also wanted to stay. Hopefully the Chunky Monkey she was gonna have with Hanna would help just a little, if anything relieve some of the stress, and maybe she'd figure out how to make Spencer and Emily come around. When she was on right terms with every one of her friends the decision would hopefully be much easier to make. You had to be optimistic even at times like these.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Ella interrupted said thoughts, and Aria was kind of glad she did. They were depressing, and if she could have just one minute of not thinking them she would be glad!

"Uhm..." Aria wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't just come out and say it like it was; Mr. Fitz asked me to run away with him, what's for dinner? She could try to get her frustration across without being literal? "I have this decision to make, and I'm torn about what to do. I don't want people to hate me if I make the wrong one in their eyes, and it's really frustrating. It's basically life or death."

"Aria, you're 16, how can you possibly have a life or death decision to make?" Ella teased her daughter slightly, but Aria sent her very saying look that clearly stated that she was in no such mood, and that it was very serious indeed. "Okay. Well, can you be more specific?"

Aria shook her head. "I can't. It involves someone else, and I've promised not to tell, but I'm scared that I'm gonna either hurt said person or my friends." Aria paused and let out a very annoyed sigh. "Please, help me."

"Aria, sweetie, I don't know how much help I can be. It doesn't sound like a decision I can help you make." Ella said and watched her daughter look down with a sad expression. She hated that, but all she could do was give parental advice. "Try clearing your mind of everything, and just whatever situation you find yourself in; follow your dreams. Always follow your dreams."

Aria looked up. It sounded so much like what she'd been told by everyone else she had confered on the subject. "It doesn't help much." She said, feeling a little bit disappointed, but still mustered to send her mother an appreciative smile for her try to help. "But thanks."

Ella smiled as if to say 'you're welcome', and then the school came into sight. Aria started unbuckling her seatbelt even though she knew she wasn't supposed to. The car was still in motion after all, but she was eager to get out and talk to Hanna, and she also wanted to see and talk to Ezra even if he said he was gonna keep away.

The car was barely parked when Aria jumped out of it. She hurried towards the school so she could find Hanna as soon as possible. She probably shouldn't rely that much on Hanna in this whole situation, but she couldn't help it. Her head and heart were a mess, and so far it had eased it a little to talk to others about it. She only had until tomorrow to figure everything out.

She would love to be able to talk to Emily and Spencer about it, too. That would make it a lot easier to deal with than just talking to Hanna about it, not that it hadn't helped, but she still felt unsure of everything. Hopefully this whole day would bring her closer to an actual decision.

Meanwhile inside the school Hanna was awaiting Aria's arrival when Spencer and Emily approached her. Spencer seemed to be on a mission like always, and Emily seemed rather concerned. Normally Hanna wasn't known to be the quickest person in the world, but she put two and two together.

Hanna opened her locker even though she had already gathered what she needed from it, but she wanted to look occupied. She was in no mood to talk to them because she knew what it was gonna be about, and she would want to defend Aria, but how was she gonna do that and not reveal anything? It was up to Aria to tell them the rest of it, but at this pace she might not get to that. It was gonna be their loss, though, if she did decide to go.

They stood behind Hanna now, and the blonde of the group had a feeling that they weren't buying the being occupied thing. She closed her locker and turned around to face them.

"Have you heard how Aria acted yesterday?" Emily asked, and by that Hanna immediately knew that Spencer had been there, too. Hanna fought the urge to roll her eyes as Emily carried on; "Can you believe her?"

Hanna could see that Emily was in complete disbelief about the whole Aria situation, but she surely didn't know as much as Hanna did. She probably only knew that Aria had talked to Jenna and afterwards blew up on Spencer, but Hanna knew the whole story.

"What I can't believe, Em, is that yesterday you were so eager to let Aria have the chance to speak out, and now you're so quick to judge after only hearing one side of the story." Hanna said with what she herself found to be some price-winning disappointment and blame. Nailed it, she thought to herself, and then walked away from her friends to go to Aria's locker to wait for the shorter girl, but then they followed her so she decided to add a finishing touch to her rant to make it sting just a little bit more; "That's just so wrong, wouldn't you say?"

Emily avoided the question, and Spencer took over. She was like that. "Don't blame Emily for this. Aria is out of control, and you know it!" Spencer stated as though they were facts, and the expression on her face matched the one she always wore when on a mission.

Hanna wanted so bad to blurt out everything that was going on with Aria to straighten it all out, but that would be to betray her little Chunky Monkey. Even if she was to tell them what was going on they would surely just turn right around to form a new attack on Aria. This was indeed a very delicate situation.

The blonde of the group chose to ignore that last remark about Aria being out of control. She stopped at Aria's locker, turned around to face Emily and Spencer, and she was far from happy with them. Why were they like that? Hanna had digested the affair Aria had with their English teacher, and then she had called to apologize to the shorter girl for her reaction. The way it was supposed to be!

When had Hanna become the mature one? She wanted so bad to tell them the whole situation, hopefully then they'd come around and be there for there friend. Tomorrow might be the last day they had her, but it still wasn't Hanna's place to tell. Maybe she could work in some hints into the conversation somehow.

"Well, she's got a lot going on." Hanna said, leaning up against Aria's locker. She knew that was way subtle, but hopefully. "You know what that's like."

"A doesn't count." Spencer said, thinking she knew it all. It was so far from what this was about, though, but when Spencer thought she knew everything there was no talking to her. "We all feel the pressure from A, but that hasn't made any of us behave like that with each other."

"You are so stupid!" Hanna blurted out before she could even stop herself. She tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late. "You attacked Aria without knowing all the facts, of course she was gonna blow up on you. Wouldn't you?"

"Hanna..." Emily said in a way that only she could. It sounded as though she was pleading Hanna to stop her rant, but Hanna didn't care. "Please stop."

Hanna couldn't believe Emily was taking sides. It was so unlike her to do something like that. She was normally one to give everyone an even chance, but apparently she was on team Spencer now without even knowing all the facts. This was frustrating.

"No, I won't! It's unfair to Aria that you're ganging up on her, and you don't even know what's going!" Hanna had never been one to lecture before, but that was the role she had taken upon herself at that specific moment. Emily was taken aback by Hanna acting so out of character, Spencer, however, hung herself on Hanna's very last words. It hadn't been the first time she had heard those words in the last 24 hours.

"What do you..." Spencer tried to find out what Hanna had meant, but was cut off by the blonde girl.

"But you know what?" Hanna whisper-yelled, not wanting to draw attention to them. She was furious, though, and at that point she was basically trying to get rid of them as she saw Aria coming towards them. "Just keep it up. I don't give a crap, but if monday comes and Aria's gone... Don't come crying to me!"

Those were Hanna's last words, and then she left her friends standing there to go greet Aria. The shorter girl looked distraught, but who could really blame her? The decision she had to make was obviously taking it's toll.

Emily and Spencer stood frozen in their spot and watched as Aria came up to Hanna. The two hugged, and then they walked down the hallway, past Emily and Spencer. They were talking, and the two taller girls decided quietly amongst themselves to discretely follow the other two and eavesdrop. It was wrong, but they were on a mission.

"How did you sleep last night?" Hanna asked, concerned about her shorter friend. Aria offered her a half-hearted smile, and Hanna sympathetically offered her one back. "That bad?"

"No, actually. My heart and head found some peace after we made up, and I easily fell asleep." Aria said, steering towards English to sneak a peek at Ezra with an unaware Hanna. "It was the waking up part that was hard. I'm going out of my mind thinking everything over, and all I get told is to follow my heart. Either that or follow my dreams. It's just not that simple, you know?"

Hanna nodded as if she understood, but she didn't quite know what to say. She hadn't been epicly in love like Aria, and she certainly hadn't been romantically asked to run away with someone. She didn't understand to put it mildly, but she listened and tried to understand, and Aria appreciated that so it didn't matter that much.

"So I'm guessing you're no closer to a decision?" Hanna asked, though she obviously knew the answer. Aria didn't say anything, but merely smiled – a sad one at that. It broke Hanna's heart, but luckily she knew that the Chunky Monkey waiting for them after school would help a little bit.

They walked quietly for a bit, and then Hanna noticed where this walk was going. English class. Aria wanted to go see Ezra, but that wasn't a good idea. Hadn't Ezra said they should try to stay away from each other or something like that? Hanna didn't comment it, though, she simply stayed by her friend's side.

"We'll be best friends either way, though." The blonde tried her best to ease everything for her shorter friend, and it was appreciated, but only half succeeded. "If you go I'll come and visit. It won't change our relationship, and if you can't find it in you heart to go I'll be there for you."

Aria could feel her best friend hinting towards her going, and she wasn't surprised. Hanna had always been the most romantic out of the four, and these days Aria wished she was like that. She wished she could just go and not care about everything else, but there was her family and the immense disappointment that would follow, and then her friends who were already acting out. No, she couldn't just go.

"I love you, Han, for being there for me." Aria said, reaching out to grab Hanna's hand to show her affection for the blonde girl and get her appreciation across. By then they had reached English, and Aria peeked inside to see Ezra. Hanna stayed outside to listen, but Ezra wasn't there. "Excuse me, who are you?"

The woman who had been writing on the blackboard turned around to face Aria. "I'm Ms. Shepard." She said with a smile, and she seemed nice, but Aria found herself hating her slightly because Ezra wasn't there. "I'm the substitute teacher."

Aria nodded, taking it all in. She still had questions, though. "Where's Mr. Fitz?" Aria wanted to know, hoping she wasn't coming across as inpolite, but she was desperate to see him even though she knew it wasn't wise to.

"He called in sick." Ms. Shepard revealed, and Aria felt her heart sink at that piece of information, but it was probably for the best. "I'm filling in for him."

Well, obviously! Aria thought to herself and stepped out of the class room with her head low. Hanna immediately threw her arms around the shorter girl to comfort her, and Aria leaned into it, sniffling a bit.

She didn't know how she could possibly go through that day with her thoughts troubling her that much, she wouldn't be able to focus on her studies. Why did it have to be that difficult? Why couldn't she just say 'I'm gonna go' or 'I'm gonna stay', and then that would be it? It sucked, and it was supposed the be thrilling because it was a big symbol of Ezra's love for her.

Ezra had said he'd tried try to stay away from her while she made her decision, and she knew that was why he wasn't there, but it still hurt. She didn't feel like it was a decision she could possibly make, and she just needed some reassurance from the people closest to her.

Hanna's support helped her big time, but she hated to say that it wasn't enough. She needed Ezra, but he was staying away so he wouldn't persuade her decision. She also needed Emily and Spencer. When they weren't upset with her their support had always helped her through tough times, but she didn't feel like they would listen to her now.

Hanna let go of Aria and leaned her head against the shorter girl's, gazing into her best friend's hazel eyes. She could see every emotion in her eyes, and that was the thing with Aria. She always wore her emotions on her sleeves. She had never been good at hiding her feelings, no matter how hard she tried. Right now Hanna wanted to make her petite friend's worries disappear.

"What do you say we blow off school and go straight to my house?" Hanna whispered, her head still leaning against Aria's. Aria's eyes shifted a bit, and Hanna could tell that she didn't wanna be there, but that she couldn't get herself to say it. "We're gonna go to my house!"

With that Hanna had made the decision for them, and she linked her arm with Aria's and tried to lead her through the halls towards the parking lot, but the shorter girl didn't move.

Aria looked down. She didn't know why, but she was about to cry. She fought back the tears, though, and looked back up. "What about school?" Was all she could say. She knew she was focussing on the wrong things again, like when she had asked Ezra what about his car. She just seemed to lack the right words these days.

"Screw school! It will still be here tomorrow." Hanna said in a way that only she could, hoping her bubbly, happy self would somehow rub off on Aria a little bit, making her forget about everything for just a minute or two. "What you need is Chunky Monkey, some girl talk / advice. A day with no worries. I'm gonna make you have fun today if it's the last thing I do!"

Aria smiled, and for the first time that day it had been a genuine one. She loved Hanna for caring so much, and all she could do now was give in. She nodded her head to say yes, and Hanna squealed out in delight and began dragging them both through the school out to Hanna's car in the parking lot.

You had to give the blonde girl props. She never failed to cheer Aria up. Where the other's gave greater advice, Hanna had always been the best at cheering her up, although her blonde best friend had been amazing at the advice thing yesterday.

She just hoped for a day with no worries like Hanna had said, and she knew if someone would be able to give her that it would be Hanna, and she almost couldn't wait to indulge in Chunky Monkey and girl talk with a her best friend. She actually caught herself feeling relief as she and Hanna left the school.

Still inside the school were Super Detective, Spencer Hastings, and Side-Kick, Emily Fields. They had been following Hanna and Aria to get to the bottom of everything, but they hadn't been able to gather anything from their two friends' conversation, other than they had decided to ditch school.

"Well, that didn't help much." Emily said, stepping out of hiding with Spencer. She turned around to face her fierce best friend, who still looked like she was on a mission. "Maybe we're reaching?"

"I don't think so." Spencer said, not really taking in what Emily had said. When she was in her investigating zone there was only one way, and that was Spencer's so she almost didn't hear everyone else. "We need to go to Hanna's and get to the bottom of this.

An odd expression crept onto Emily's face. "What about school?" She used Aria's exact words, but this was just freaky. Spencer was acting obsessed (what else was new?), but this was different.

"This is more important." And with those words Spencer turned around and followed in the footsteps of Hanna and Aria to get to her car in the parking lot.

Emily, the always side-kick, followed right in the tail of Spencer. "Wow, I never thought I'd live to see the day when Spencer Hastings would blow off school for something else."

**I'll give you a kiss or three for your commitment**

"Just go into the living room and throw yourself on the couch. I'll bring in the ice cream." Hanna said as they entered her house. She took off her own bag, and then relieved Aria's of hers, throwing them both onto the floor in the hallway of the house.

Aria simply nodded, walking into the living room where she sat down on the couch like she had been told to. She put her feet on the table like she knew Hanna always did when they were indulging on sweets together. Hanna always said that it was the extreme lazy position, and that was the best way to have a 'fat' day.

It was strange because Aria had somehow always felt closest to Spencer, but these days she wasn't sure. She had always felt like she had more in common with Spencer, and that the ambitious girl understood her more, but the night before and this day made her see that Hanna actually understood her the best. She had just in a way accidentally overlooked it because Spencer was more in your face, but she saw it now, and that was the most important thing.

She had a feeling that if she decided to stay then Hanna would be the one who had tipped the scale. How did you leave a friend like that? She didn't know, but she had to push those thoughts out of the door right that second. This day was about indulging in sweets with her best friend and having fun. Tomorrow was for the other stuff.

"Look, look, look!" Hanna said with a funny voice as she entered the living room. She carried the carton of Chunky Monkey in the stretched out palm of her hand while waving her other hand around it to illustrate just how magnificent it was that she could do it like that, and she high-fived herself mentally when she saw Aria crack a smile. That had been the whole purpose of it.

"Thank you." Aria said as Hanna handed the ice cream to her, and then the blonde friend ran out of the room to grab two spoons from the kitchen. She came rushing back and handed one of the spoons to Aria, and she immediately dug her own into the ice cream, taking the first bite. "You know, you could have carried the spoons with the ice cream."

Hanna licked her spoon in funny way, making Aria chuckle. Mission accomplished again. "I know, but that would have ruined the dramatic effect!" She simply stated, digging her spoon into the carton of Chunky Monkey again to have another bite.

Aria dug hers into it as well. It was funny that whenever they had days like these where they just pigged out together they would always eat of the same carton, and sometimes they would even share the same spoon – at least when they ate ice cream. When they at cake or something like that they would share the same fork.

That day Hanna had made Aria realize how much she valued their friendship, and how much she wanted to maintain it. She didn't know why she hadn't realized it before, but Hanna might just be her best friend out of the four. The blonde never failed to cheer her up, and she couldn't remember days like this with just Spencer or Emily. Sure, she had a special bond with each of the girls, but it wasn't like the one she had with Hanna. She realized that now.

"This is sooooo good!" Hanna moaned, making a face to prove her point of how good it was, and Aria couldn't help chuckling again. This ditch day was exactly what she needed.

Aria took another spoonful ice cream into her mouth, and obviously she agreed with Hanna. Chunky Monkey was her favorite after all. She dug her spoon into the carton again, and she got three chocolate bananas up with, and that didn't go unnoticed by Hanna.

Hanna did this funny twist in her seat, falling off the couch while reaching for Aria's spoon. The chocolate bananas in Chunky Monkey were like the best thing in there besides the actual ice cream. Aria laughed and gladly handed Hanna her spoon once the blonde was once again up on the couch.

Hanna licked the spoon clean and handed it back to Aria, and then she dug her own into the ice cream again to have another bite, but she was interrupted when the door rang. She groaned loudly with annoyance, and then she got up from the couch to go get the door.

Aria stayed back with the ice cream, taking another spoonful of it into her mouth. It was so good. If she decided to go with Ezra she was gonna ban Hanna from eating Chunky Monkey without her, but if she chose not to go they would have to down about 5 cartons of it to help Aria get over the hurt of losing Ezra. Besides Chunky Monkey was only Hanna's third favorite (behind Baked Alaska and Cookie Dough) so surely she wouldn't miss it if Aria went.

Another spoon of ice cream, and Hanna re-entered the living room with a gloom look upon her face. She sat down next to Aria again and took a spoonful of the ice cream into her mouth to lessen the mood. Aria eventually got why when Spencer and Emily entered shortly after, and then she did the same.

"You ditched school to eat Chunky Monkey when Coffee Caramel Buzz is clearly better?" Spencer said, attempting to make a joke to lighten the mood while her and Emily remained standing. Hanna and Aria were not amused.

"Sure, you would think so." Aria simply said, using a very monotone voice while avoiding eye contact with the newly arrived. She acted like she thought the ice cream was way more interesting and took another spoonful of it into her mouth.

"I like Phish Food or Half Baked better." Emily said, mainly stating her favorite flavors to sort of break the tension, but why would she succeed when Spencer didn't? Aria kept her focus on the ice cream and ate another spoonful of it.

Hanna, however, seemed to join in because she really had a sweet tooth. So did Aria, but she was far more upset with their friends. "Half Baked is for when you can't decide between Cookie Dough or Chocolate Fudge Brownie." Hanna said and stuck her tongue out at Emily. They always had that 'argument' when the girls had a movie night and ate Ben & Jerry's.

Emily shook her head as if to say no, and then she decided they should move on from the ice cream talk. She and Spencer were there for answers, and answers they were gonna get one way or the other.

"Aria?" The swimmer tried to get her petite friend's attention away from the ice cream, but Aria continued to ignore both her and Spencer. "Aria, would you please look at me?" She didn't. "Please, Aria?" She finally did, mainly because she could feel that gaze of Emily's bearing into her. "Thank you."

Spencer and Emily shared a look. Emily didn't quite know what to say next. She had gotten Aria's attention, and now Spencer took over.

"You have been acting rather strange lately, and..." Spencer led off, but then Aria looked away again, unimpressed. "I'm sorry, it's just that you tell us about you and Mr. Fitz, and it's like we don't recognize you anymore. You have to understand. It's like you've been lying to us, and we just don't know, and..." She paused. "Please look at me."

"Aria?" This time Hanna spoke, and Aria looked up and met her gaze. It was so full of care, and Aria knew Hanna only wanted what was best for her. "Why don't you just tell them what's going on? They are here now, and Spencer is clearly sorry about yesterday. She wouldn't be if she wasn't, right?" She turned around to look at Spencer who nodded, and then she turned back around to face Aria again. "See!"

Aria seemed to think about whether she should tell them or not, and then she finally spoke. "I'm still upset with you for yesterday, Spence. You were so harsh with me, and then you had the nerve to come up to me after I spoke to Jenna and say the things you did. It hurt."

"And I'm so sorry for that." Spencer interrupted, her eyes wide in the way they were when she regretted something, and then she finally sat down in a chair. Emily was still standing.

Aria didn't acknowledge Spencer's a apology with an answer, she merely shrugged and carried on explaining things; "The thing with me and Ezra is that it has been a whirlwind from day one, and after he found out I was his student we tried to maintain a relationship." She paused and watched her friends to see if they were getting upset with her again. It didn't appear so. "I don't know why, but suddenly he was always one foot in and one foot out, always looking for a reason why it couldn't possibly work. It was so frustrating because I knew we both loved each other. I knew it even before the poem." Her friends looked confused so she offered an explanation. "B26. You've read it."

"That was about you?" Hanna exclaimed, completely interrupting Aria, but she did know the story. She just didn't know that B26 was about Aria.

Aria simply nodded, and then she continued to fill in Emily and Spencer. "It was frustrating that he always found an excuse for why we couldn't possibly be together, but at the same time keeping a door open for us." A pause for dramatic effect. "Therefore I wrote a poem myself to get out my frustration, and it accidentally fell into Ezra's hands. I was mad at first because he just read it, but now I'm glad he did." Another pause. "It made him step up."

Emily and Spencer were confused. "Then why have you been acting so un-Aria?" Spencer asked, sounding as confused as both she and Emily looked. It didn't completely add up.

Aria took a deep breath, preparing herself to drop the bombshell on her two friends. "He asked me to run away with him." She paused and watched as two very shocked expressions crept onto Spencer and Emily's face. "That's what I was trying to tell you about yesterday at school, but then you all attacked me, and I had no-one to talk to, and I really needed to get out to lift some of the weight off of my shoulders. You, my best friends, had disowned me, and I was desperate to talk to someone so I turned to Jenna, and she actually turned out to be nice and very misunderstood."

"We're so sor..." Emily started an apology she didn't get to finish because she was interrupted by Aria.

"I'm not done." She said, and her friends looked surprised at the fact that there was more to the story. "I have until tomorrow night to decide if I'm gonna go with him, but if I don't he's still gonna go. He says he can't stand being my teacher anymore and be in town where we can never officially be together. So if I don't go I lose him, but if I do I'll hurt my family so much, and I'll leave you behind to deal with A. I'm struggling very much with this decision, and that's why I've been so un-Aria and snapping at everybody."

Emily finally sat down as well. That was a lot to take in. That was like an epic love story, and she had been acting so stupid towards one of her best friend in a time where her friend had really needed her. She had just walked away from her. She regretted that now.

"I'm sorry." Emily said, but she thought those two words sounded lame at that point. Aria, however, smiled because she really appreciated her friend's apology. Besides she had already forgiven Hanna, and Emily hadn't even said anything hurtful.

"Me too." Spencer chipped in from her seat, and even though Aria had told herself she would never forgive Spencer for yesterday, she felt herself nodding at her friend with a small smile as if to say 'I forgive you'. "Don't worry about us, just follow your heart. How many chances do we get in a life time at an epic fairytale love story? We'll always be here."

"Yeah, I agree." Emily said and smiled at Aria, and the shorter girl was really appreciative that despite of everything they were so quickly on board with her relationship with Ezra. "And don't worry about A, we'll deal with the her or him. Just follow your dreams."

Hanna couldn't help herself from chuckling upon hearing almost her exact words being repeated by her friends, but eventually when you had been best friends for so long that was bound to happen, right?

"That's what I keep being told, but it's just not easy like that." Aria said, and you could her the agony of not being able to decide in her voice. She wished it was that easy, and she could just clear her head of everything, and just go where her heart wanted to take. It just wasn't that simple. "It's so frustrating that I don't know what to do. I love Ezra, but then there's my family. If I stay, though, I think I'm always gonna be longing for Ezra. I hate this."

Aria groaned with annoyance, and then she dug her spoon into the ice cream that had now melted a bit. It was still good, though, she concluded as she took it into her mouth. She had hoped it would ease it a bit, but no. She groaned again and threw her spoon onto the sofa table, and then she leaned back in the couch and closed her eyes.

Hanna could clearly see that her friend was distraught, and so could Emily and Spencer. Hanna knew she couldn't make it go away, but she could damn well try by being the best friend there ever was. The question was how, though, and then the idea struck her.

"Hey, what do you guys say to a sleep-over?"

Aria opened her eyes and sat up straight. She glanced over each one of her friends and decided. "Okay."

**Anything for you to go all in**

The sleep-over yesterday had been great, and her friends had really tried their best to easy the situation and get her mind off of everything. On occasion they succeeded, and they proceeded to do the very same thing at school that day, but as Aria arrived home she was still no closer to making a decision.

_I can't leave my best friends_

She opened the door and stepped into her home, and she dumped her bag in the hallway, and then she walked up to her room where she sat down at her desk. She didn't know if she was gonna go, but if she did there had to be note to her parents, and she was gonna write that now.

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_There is no easy why to say this. I love you both, but there is something I've kept from you. Just after we had gotten back from Iceland I met a guy at a bar, and we started a beautiful relationship. He turned out to be my new teacher, and I think you know who I'm refering to now. It hasn't been without struggles, but we love each other deeply, and a few days ago he asked me to run away with him._

_If you're reading this it means I've decided to go, and I don't know where our love will take us, but I know it's far away from Rosewood. I hope you won't be too disappointed in me by this decision, and that you will continue to love me even though I've run away with my English teacher. Or Ezra, the love of my life, as I know him as._

_I will continue to love you, and I will miss you so much, but this was something I had to do. I hope we'll eventually see each other again, and by that time you will have digested all of this and be accepting of my relationship with Ezra._

_I love you so much, but the love I feel for Ezra is something I've never experienced before, and I just had to see it through. Don't attempt to follow me, though. It would be a waste 'cos I don't even know where we are gonna go. _

_I'm sorry for any pain that this might cause, but know that I love you. I know I've written that a bunch of times now, but I hope that it might somehow lessen the blow and make you forgive me faster, but I do. Love you, that is. You are the ones who gave me life, and I know running away with my High School teacher might seem extremely ungrateful, but that's not what I am. I appreciate everything you've done for me, but this was just something I had to do do._

_I'm deeply sorry._

_I love you!_

_Always,  
Aria_

She folded the letter and put it into an envelope. She would decide what to do with it later. She didn't even know it was gonna be used yet, but if it was she didn't want them to find it too all. They might try to stop her then, and she didn't want that. If she decided to stay, however, she didn't want them to randomly find it and find out that she'd had a relationship with a teacher. Her relationship with Ezra would be over if she didn't go, and then that would just be unnecessary drama.

_If you don't take a risk for love, what do you take it for?_

She placed the envelope with the words Mom & Dad scribbled neatly on it on her desk, and then she got up and walked over to her closet where she pulled out her gymbag. She was gonna pack the bare necessities into it, and she had decided to do it in her gym bag because it was easier to get out of the house with that unnoticed. She was just thinking in case she decided to go. If she didn't it would just be easy to unpack.

_You've been acting so un-Aria_

A few pair of leggings, a couple of skirts, one or two dresses, her favorite pair of jeans, a few tops (or anything related). Now she just two pair of shoes, and then she would throw some random accessories into the bag, and after that she rushed out into her bathroom to gather her toiletries. Done!

_Don't worry about us, just follow your heart._

That was easy. If only the decision of whether or not to go was. She walked around in her room, contemplating what to do, and eventually she threw herself onto her bed, still contemplating. She closed her eyes, and every possible scenario raced through her head multiple times, but she still wasn't sure.

_Just follow your dreams_

She heard the door downstairs. It was probably Mike who was home from Lacrosse. Sure enough, within 5 minutes Mike had raced past Aria's room and entered his own, and soon after Aria could hear the familiar sound of his music. Normally Aria would be a slight bit annoyed with the fact that he turned his music up so loud, but that very day she found it quite sentimental to hear it. It was friday, and it might be the last day she heard her brother's music in a long time.

_Clear your mind, follow your heart_

Her brother. A thought struck her! She glanced at her desk where she knew the letter to her parents was. She could give it to Mike and ask him to give it to their parents at the right time, but if she didn't go he could just tear it up and throw it out. Surely he would do that for his sis?

_What are you gonna do?_

She stumbled out of her bed and walked over to her desk, picking up the envelope. She walked out into the hallway, and a weird feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she walked the familiar route towards her brother's room. Why did she feel so weird?

She stood in front of her brother's door, and then she knocked on the door. He didn't appear to have head her so she knocked louder, and she heard the volume of the music being turned down.

"Come in!" She obeyed, and his brother smiled when he saw her. They had always had a good bond, and it would suck to lose that if she went. Maybe she should stay? "What can I do for you?"

She walked into his room and sat down on his bed. "I have this letter for mom and dad." She explained, and he stared at her with an odd expression because he didn't know what she was going on about. "Uhm, I'm gonna go out later, and I want you to give it to them." Mike nodded. He was with her so far. Give the letter to mom and dad, check. "But there is a condition! Like I said; I'm gonna go out later, and you're gonna give the letter to mom and dad, but only if it's 30 minutes past my curfew and I'm not home. You understand?" He nodded, and Aria smiled at the fact that he was so willing to her help her, no questions asked. "However, if I'm home by curfew you just rip it up and toss it out, okay?"

"Sure thing, sis." Mike said and winked at his sister. He accepted the letter from her, and then he turned his back to her to face his computer, cranking up the music again. She took it as her cue to leave.

She stopped in the doorway. "I love you!" She yelled over the music, but he was so into it that he didn't hear her. She shook her head at her dorky brother, and then she walked back to her room. She had a decision to make, and her deadline was creeping closer and closer.

_You've been acting so un-Aria_

_How many chances do you get at an epic fairytale love story?_

_Follow your dreams_

_Follow your heart_

_Un-Aria_

_I can't leave my friends_

_Just follow your heart_

A couple of hours later she was no closer to making a decision, but she had to go. It was 5:30, and she was meeting her friends for dinner at 6. It was an 'in case she goes' event, and she wasn't gonna miss it.

She grabbed her gym bag and threw it over her shoulder. She tried screaming goodbye to her brother, but he didn't hear a thing. Her parents were both at seperate faculty things so it wouldn't be that difficult to sneak out. She wouldn't have to explain where she was going.

She had decided for the next few hours she was gonna clear her mind of everything, and she was gonna try and do what people had told her. She was gonna try to listen to her heart. It normally wasn't that difficult, and it shouldn't be now.

She ran down the creaking stairs of the house, hurried out of the house and grabbed her jacket on the way. She found her phone as she closed the door, and then she texted the girls to tell them that she was on her way to the restaurant.

When they were all there and eventually were done eating, she hoped a decision would just strike her because she had been thinking it over so much, and she was no closer to decision. It would have to be done on impulse because thinking was obviously not helping her.

She began the long walk towards the restaurant.

**I'll give you a kiss or three for your dedication**

Ezra was standing by the train station an hour before he was supposed to, but he was so sure now that all he wanted was Aria, and he just couldn't wait to have her, and that was why he was there early.

It was 8:30 now, and so far he had passed time by checking all the trains that left past 9, and where they drove to. One drove to New York, and he had pictured what kind of life they would have together in New York. One drove to Nashville, Tennessee, and he imagined what their life would be like country. Another drove to some town in Ohio he didn't exactly remember the name of, but he did remember fantasizing about living there with Aria. There was also a train going to Miami, Florida, and he had imagined being with Aria there, but he couldn't exactly see them live there. There was also one to San Francisco in California, and he pictured them being there, and he could just see Aria as a California girl, and there would also be a lot of opportunities for him there.

He had narrowed it down to either New York or California in the last half hour. He hoped with all his heart that Aria had decided to go with him, and he remained optimistic by considering which city to run away to.

They would have the most opportunities in New York and California, and somehow he couldn't shake the feeling that Aria seemed more like a California girl to him. He was fairly certain that it was where she would want to go once she got there. He couldn't imagine anything else.

He had packed a suitcase with a bunch of his clothes, books, and what else he thought he had needed to take with them, but most importantly was Aria. He hoped he wouldn't have to go alone. He just couldn't stay somewhere they had to be a secret.

Aria's poem had opened his eyes, and now he couldn't not be with her. It had to be official. It had to be public, and it couldn't in Rosewood. He wanted to stand on mountains and shout that he loved her. He wanted a real relationship with her.

If she didn't come he would have to go by himself. He couldn't bear them being a secret anymore, and he certainly couldn't bear to be looked at just as her teacher. He was gonna go either way, hopefully with her. If not the only logic conclusion was that they were over. He was going, she was staying. Hopefully it wouldn't turn out that way.

He glanced at the big clock at the station. 8:45. The moment of truth was approaching, and he felt some butterflies in his stomach coming along. He was so nervous to find out Aria's decision. He almost couldn't bear the thought of her not coming.

He had called in sick yesterday and this very day. He did what he had said he would do, and that was to try and stay away from Aria so he wouldn't be persuading her decision. It had to come from her and not anyone else. It was difficult to go all day yesterday without seeing her, calling her or even texting her. It was difficult not to have seen her that day either, but hopefully he would be seeing her again in 10 minutes. It was now 8:50.

The lady at the ticket desk had been sending him very annoyed looks for the past 30 minutes because he hadn't bought a ticket for any train yet. He knew she was working at a train station as someone selling ticket, but surely she would have a High School degree, or at least brain enough to consider the fact that possibly, and just maybe possibly that he was waiting for someone?

Another weird glance from the ticket lady, but Ezra chose to ignore it. He looked up at the big clock again with anticipation. Only 5 more minutes to go, and the butterflies in his stomach got more intense. He almost didn't know where to put himself anymore.

The moment of truth was creeping closer. He couldn't wait to see Aria again, to hold her. He hoped that she had been able to tell her friends, and that they might have eased the situation for her a little bit. If the decision didn't seem as tense to make that would make it a lot easier to say 'I'm gonna go', but that was wishful thinking on his part.

2 minutes to go, and still no Aria. She was just making things exciting in the most intense possible way, surely that was it, right?

1 minute! C'mon, Aria, he thought to himself, looking all around. He didn't know where she would be coming from if she came, and he was catching himself feeling just a little bit desperate for her to show up. He kept looking around for any sight of her, and then the clock struck 9.

He could hear the churchbells playing their melody from far away. It was the moment of truth, but still no Aria. He wasn't giving up, though, he was gonna give her a couple more minutes. She could just be running late, right?

Another looked from the ticket lady. He had now been there for a whole hour without buying a train ticket. He grabbed his suitcase, and he could almost feel the lady hoping that he was either buying a ticket or getting the hell out of there, but he did no such thing.

He walked closer to the big clock, and then he put the suitcase down on the ground, and now he just stood there and stared at the clock. He probably looked crazy standing there just staring at some big clock, but he didn't care. It was now 2 minutes past 9, and Aria still wasn't there.

He was beginning to get a horrible feeling about this. You wouldn't show up late for something like this, would you? He wasn't giving up yet, though, she could still just be running late.

He kept staring at the clock. It was now 5 minutes past 9, and Aria wasn't there. 6 minutes past, no Aria. He looked to the side, and the lady who sold tickets still looked very annoyed with him. He sent her look, and he hoped it said 'don't worry, I'll buy a ticket eventually"!

8 minutes past 9, and Aria still wasn't in sight. Not that he would know, he was still staring at the stupid clock. It was ahead. It had to be ahead, right? It was the only explanation! The only explanation that would give him comfort, anyhow.

The clock was ticking along, and Ezra had come to realize that he hated the way a clock sounded. It was a strange thought to have at that point, but at this point he was just trying to distract himself from the fact that Aria probably wasn't coming. He had to be realistic about things now. She wasn't coming.

10 minutes past. He grabbed his suitcase and began walking towards the ticket lady to finally buy a ticket to wherever. He didn't care about that anymore. Anywhere, but Rosewood.

He had gone so far that his back was now turned to the clock, and he could hear the large hand shift another minute. Then he heard footsteps behind him, and he saw a glimpse of hope. He turned around to see who it was.

"You came!" He exclaimed with so much joy at the sight of Aria standing there with a packed bag over her shoulder. He had given up for brief minute, but he had known it deep in his heart. He was curious, though. "What made you decide?"

Aria smiled with so much happiness when she saw the joy in Ezra's eyes at the sight of her, and then she began walking towards him. "Well, I've been terrified to make this choice because I didn't wanna disappoint anybody, but in the past few days my friends have been giving me a ton of advice, telling me to follow my dreams and to follow my heart." She now stood in front of the love of her life and gazed up into his loving eyes. "It's not as easy as it sounds, and up until a few minutes ago I wasn't even sure myself, but then I realized something that made me decide." Aria stepped closer to Ezra if that was even possible, and they were only an inch apart now, and he whispered a barely audible 'what?' to which Aria continued; "You are my dream, Ezra Fitz, and my heart belongs to you."

"That was beautiful!" Ezra said, and it sounded weird, but Aria knew she had made the right choice when she could smell his very familiar cinnamon breath, and also by the love so clear in his voice by what he had just said. He, however, had more; "But very corny."

Aria simply smiled and stood up on her tippy-toes because of the height difference. "Yeah, I know, but you love me."

"I do!" Ezra said, leaning into the kiss that they had been building up to. It started as something sweet and tender, but then it developed into something more deep and passionate. They pulled apart after little bit, and then Ezra smiled at the love of his life. "What do you say to California?"

"Let's go!"

**All the way to the finish line**

_**Disclaimer; **Still don't own Pretty Little Liars. Still just own my song 'A Kiss or Three' that I'm seriously considering naming 'Maybe Baby' after this fic._

_That's officially the end of this fic, but I already have inspiration for a sequel. What do you say? It will take place a year after this chapter, and it will find Aria coming back to Rosewood for reasons I will not tell at this point. Review me if you want a sequel, and even if you don't . I really would like your feedback. I hope you enjoyed it :). I enjoyed writing it very much, and I also really loved giving my take on Hanna and Aria's friendship. I ended up enjoying it very much, and I want it to come across like that in my future fics like that as well. I'm ordinarily team Sparia, but somehow in this fic I found myself being team Haria (?) :b. Anywho, thanks so much for the reviews. Appreciate them! They are like a nice hug from a friend :). I also would like to say that I have a Spemily one-shot in the works, and also another song-based fic which is Spemily as well. The one-shot will be called Sweet Dreams, Em, and the multi-chaptered fic will be called Heart Flutter after my song Heart Flutter. I don't normally ship Spemily, but I'm gonna give it a go because one of my best friends likes them. Plus, if Emily were to fall for another one of the friends it would probably be Spencer. Anywho, I really hoped you enjoyed this last chapter, the cheese and the way it ended. You are an Ezria fan, so why wouldn't you ? Hopefully you'll greenlight the sequel to Maybe Baby, and I'll get to work on it. Sorry I ramble. The sequel will have more than 3 chapters that much I can reveal, and by that time I'll hopefully be established as a PLL ff writer, and I'll re-establish the whole dedicating a chapter to the best reviewer of the previous chapter thing that I've been doing in other fandoms. I'm gonna stop talking now, and just once again say that I hoped you enjoyed this, and then leave you with the usual; please review :)._

_**Laters,**_

_**AK-tutti :)**_


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